The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Nigerian workers who were stranded in the Central African Republic (CAR) have been rescued.
The Ministry’s Spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, announced this in a statement released on Tuesday, July 29.
A video of the workers trended last week, in which the workers accused their Chinese boss of seizing their passports and keeping them in the Bambari region of the country which is about 850 kilometres from the country’s capital, Bangui.Read here.
In the statement released, the Ministry said the workers have been located and recued and will be repatriated to Nigeria as soon as possible.
“The stranded Nigerian workers in CAR have been successfully rescued and are currently in the custody of the Embassy of Nigeria in Bangui.
A very big commendation to the staff of the Embassy and the Government of CAR for the successful operation.
Nigeria is working. Following the video that went viral the necessary action was taken. God bless the team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and President Bola Tinubu,” he said.
Ebienfa said that the ministry had made contact with the victims through its officials in CAR. He further explained that the ministry also engaged with relevant authorities there, and ensured their safety, protection and swift repatriation.
The ministry’s spokesman said that their passports were retrieved successfully and a vehicle was sent to Bambari to evacuate them to Bangui. The spokesperson added that discussions were also ongoing with a company for their accommodation and welfare while in Bangui and their subsequent repatriation to Nigeria.
He urged Nigerians traveling abroad for work to always verify the credibility of their employers and ensure proper documentation before departure.
“Nigerians are also advised to register their presence and that of their employees with the Embassy of Nigeria whenever they are in any foreign country, to avert unpleasant experiences in event of consular issues” he said