NiDCOM Secures Release of Stranded Nigerians in CAR, Says Repatriation Underway
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has successfully intervened in the plight of several Nigerians allegedly subjected to forced labor and abuse in the Central African Republic (CAR), the commission announced today.
The intervention follows a distress call made through a viral video circulating on social media.
NiDCOM confirmed that it has established contact with the distressed individuals, retrieved their confiscated passports, and is making arrangements for their transportation to the Nigerian Embassy in Bangui, the CAR capital. The agent was allegedly responsible for their predicament has also been identified.
“The attention of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has been drawn to the distress call in a viral video where some Nigerians were allegedly maltreated in Central Africa Republic (CAR),” stated Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit at NiDCOM, in a press statement released on Thursday.
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According to the statement, the affected Nigerians were reportedly “deceived and abandoned in a foreign land, forced to work for 11 months without pay. Their passports were confiscated, leaving them stranded.” They had urgently appealed to the Nigerian government for intervention and rescue.
Upon becoming aware of the situation, NiDCOM “immediately contacted officials of the embassy in the CAR to look into the matter,” Balogun confirmed.
NiDCOM has lauded the swift action by the Nigerian Embassy in CAR. “It is gratifying to inform members of the public that contact has been established with them and their seized passports retrieved, while plans are on to send a bus to convey them to the embassy in Bangui, which is at least an eight-hour drive,” the statement read.
Balogun further added, “The agent in question has also been identified.”
NiDCOM expressed its gratitude to the Nigerian Embassy officials in CAR for their prompt and decisive response to the distress call. “This is to express the appreciation of the Commission to the officials of the Nigerian Embassy for their swift action,” the press release concluded.
Details regarding the exact number of Nigerians affected and the identity of the alleged perpetrator agent were not immediately released, as plans for their safe return to Nigeria are currently being finalized.
by PRNigeria
