The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has revealed that the Nigerian miners previously stranded in the Central African Republic (CAR) are now in the care of Nigerian embassy officials in Bangui, the capital of the East African country.
NiDCOM had earlier said it got aware of the situation through a viral video posted on social media last Thursday.
In the video, six Nigerian men in a remote village in the French-speaking country claimed they were abandoned and mistreated by a Chinese mining company that recruited them for work in CAR.
The miners disclosed that they were in Senye, in the Bambari region of CAR, with the six men also pleading for help from fellow Nigerians.
Reacting to the viral video, NiDCOM said it was coordinating efforts to evacuate the six miners from the isolated site.
NiDCOM also explained that it would facilitate the issuance of emergency travel documents, arrange for their transportation to Bangui, and secure their return flights to Nigeria.
The agency issued an update on Wednesday, confirming that the miners had arrived in Bangui and were now in the care of Nigerian embassy officials.
“A big gratitude to the officials of the Nigerian Embassy as well as military personnel of the CAR that accompanied them on their journey to the capital,” the statement read.
NiDCOM also stated that the individual who facilitated the miners’ recruitment by the Chinese company in CAR is currently in Nigeria and has been identified.
