It was an emotionally laden moment for the rescued 12 Nigerian trapped workers in the Central African Republic as they narrated how their Chinese employers sexually abused all of them while working for the miners there, just as succour came with their rescue by the Federal government.
The 12 stranded Nigerian men whose video went viral some three weeks ago finally arrived in Nigeria and paid a visit to the NIDCOM office.
An E-signed statement by the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols NIDCOM, Abdurrahman Balogun, in Abuja on Friday, said the victims were received by Chairman/ CEO NIDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, as well as management staff in Abuja on Friday.
While recounting their ordeal, leader of the rescued workers, Igorigo Freeborn, said it was important for the world to know that despite owing them 11 months’ salaries, “we were homosexually abused by our Chinese employers in CAR.
“I am not ashamed to say it. I want other people to learn from it. We were treated badly there, but thank God for sparing our lives to tell the stories today.
“I am one of those people who usually abuse Nigeria, and I don’t think anything good can come out of the country, but we were all so happy to receive help and succour from Nigeria.
“Let me use this opportunity to thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the CAR Ambassador in Bangui, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), NEMA, Immigration Service and other government agencies for coming to our rescue almost immediately”, he said.
Freeborn said they suffered “a lot” in the past 20 months they left Nigeria.
He pleaded with the government to help them redress the injustices meted out to them by their employers.