The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has begun a rescue operation for a group of Nigerians who were stranded and allegedly maltreated in the Central African Republic (CAR).
This follows a viral video that surfaced online earlier this week.
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The video, which drew wide public attention, showed several distressed Nigerians narrating their ordeal.
According to the individuals, they had been trafficked under pretences, abandoned in CAR and had been forced to work without pay for nearly a year.
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They also alleged that their passports were seized, leaving them stranded and unable to return home.
Reacting to this, NiDCOM, in a statement on Friday, said it has begun taking steps to see to the release and safe relocation of the victims to the Nigerian Embassy in Bangui, the capital of CAR.
The commission said contact has been established with the stranded Nigerians, and their confiscated passports have been retrieved.
It also noted that plans are underway to dispatch a bus to convey them to the embassy, despite the journey spanning at least eight hours by road.
“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 African Republic (CAR).
“The Commission has contacted officials of the Embassy in the CAR to look into the matter.
“It is gratifying to inform members of the public that contact has been established with them, 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.
The commission also confirmed that the agent who facilitated their travel and allegedly orchestrated the exploitation has been identified.
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