Twelve Nigerian miners recently rescued from the Central African Republic (CAR) have narrated harrowing experiences of exploitation and abuse, alleging they were sexually assaulted by their Chinese male employers.
The returnees were received on Friday in Abuja by the chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, according to a statement by the commission’s Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdurrahman Balogun.
Speaking at the NiDCOM office, the leader of the group, Igorigo Freeborn, recounted how they were abandoned by recruiters in the forest without pay and forced to endure unsafe and degrading conditions for nearly a year.
“In spite of 11 months’ unpaid salaries, we were homosexually abused by our Chinese employers. I am not ashamed to say it. I want others to learn from it. We were treated badly there, but thank God for sparing our lives to tell the stories today,” Freeborn said.
He appealed to the federal government to help redress the injustices they suffered and admitted that the experience changed his perception of Nigeria, noting that they were grateful for the support received upon their return.
In her remarks, Dabiri-Erewa condemned their ordeal as inhumane and assured that justice would be pursued. She added that NiDCOM, in collaboration with relevant agencies, would take up the matter, while also urging the rescued miners to support the commission’s advocacy against irregular migration.