Rescued Nigerian miners stranded in CAR
Eleven Nigerian miners, stranded in the Central African Republic (CAR), have thanked the Nigerian government for their timely rescue.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, their spokesperson, Mr. Freeborn Igorigo, expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the government’s swift action and the warm reception they received upon their return.
The miners were allegedly deceived by a Nigerian agent working with a Chinese national, who lured them to CAR with promises of mining jobs.
In a widely circulated video, the visibly frail and distressed group revealed they had been abandoned without pay for 11 months.
Igorigo recounted their grueling ordeal in a CAR forest, where they faced life-threatening conditions, including harassment by armed soldiers, physical abuse, unjust imprisonment, and extreme hardship. “Some of us developed health issues due to hazardous conditions and accidents,” he said, noting that he had worked for the company for three years and had been in CAR since September 2024.
He was the one who recorded and shared the viral video that brought their plight to public attention.
Describing the events leading to the video, Igorigo explained that Chinese workers were evacuated from the mining site, while the Nigerians were left behind in perilous conditions. “When we tried to leave with them, we faced armed threats and violence,” he said.
He expressed gratitude to the media, the public, and all who amplified their situation, crediting their rescue to the collaborative efforts of Nigeria’s ambassador to CAR, the National Security Adviser’s office, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
However, Igorigo highlighted a lingering injustice: the miners are returning home empty-handed, as their employer withheld their salaries for nine months. He noted that the company occasionally provided small sums, referred to as “3D money,” to appease workers, but full payment was never made. Igorigo urged the government to ensure justice by helping them recover their unpaid wages, warning that failure to hold such companies accountable could lead to further exploitation of Nigerians abroad.
According to reports, the Nigerian Embassy in CAR, alongside security forces, acted quickly after the viral video surfaced, locating the miners and escorting them on a multi-day journey from their remote location to the CAR capital. On Thursday, the miners arrived in Abuja aboard an Asky Airlines Boeing 747-200, registration number ET-AXO, at 4:45 p.m.
They were accompanied by Nigeria’s Ambassador to CAR, Mr. Babagana Ahmed, and welcomed by a government delegation led by NEMA’s Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Kenneth Oyong, representing NEMA Director General Mrs. Zubaida Umar.
NAN
