The House of Representatives Committee on China-Nigeria Parliamentary Relations has launched an investigation into a viral video showing some Nigerian workers in the Central African Republic, alleging abandonment and ill treatment.
In the video, which surfaced last Thursday, the miners claimed they were recruited by a Chinese mining company but were later abandoned, had their passports confiscated, and were subjected to inhumane treatment.
The workers appealed to Nigerians to amplify their message and draw attention to their situation.
They said they were stranded in Senye, a village in the Bambari region of CAR.
Reacting, the Chairman of the committee, Jaafaru Yakubu, in a statement on Wednesday, expressed concern over the situation.
“The committee regrets the unfortunate situation the Nigerian workers are being subjected to in CAR and assures that a comprehensive investigation is currently ongoing to unravel the circumstances that led to their ordeal,” Yakubu noted.
The statement also addressed the role of Abdulrauf Ademola, the businessman accused in the video.
According to the committee, Ademola had denied all allegations of passport seizure, non-payment of wages, and abandonment.
The committee urged the public not to associate Ademola’s alleged actions with legitimate Chinese businesses operating in Nigeria.
“It is also important to state that Abdulrauf Ademola, the businessman who allegedly abandoned the Nigerians in CAR, had issued a statement refuting the allegations made by the workers who accused him of passport seizure, unpaid salaries, and abandonment in the widely circulated video.
“The committee wishes to inform the general public that Abdulrauf Ademola is not affiliated with the Chinese Embassy or the China General Chamber of Commerce, and his actions or inactions should not be linked to the embassy or Chinese enterprises doing their legitimate businesses in Nigeria,” it said.
Yakubu also used the opportunity to reaffirm the strength of China-Nigeria ties, while appealing to the media and public to ensure accurate and balanced reporting.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, on Tuesday, confirmed the rescue of the stranded workers.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, in a statement, said, “Stranded Nigerian workers in the Central African Republic 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 the Central African Republic for the successful operation.”
Also, a statement by the Director of Media, Public Relations, and Protocols Unit at the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said, “The stranded Nigerians in the Central African Republic have finally arrived at the Nigerian Embassy in Bangui.
“It will be recalled that through a viral video, some Nigerian miners called for help, and there was immediate intervention and swift response of officials of the Nigerian Embassy and CAR security who accompanied them from their location to the capital,” the statement said.
It added that the miners were under the care of embassy officials, who were making arrangements for their return to Nigeria.
“They are now in the safe hands of officials of the Nigerian Embassy, who will arrange their return home.
“They expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and staff of both countries, the Nigerian Embassy, the CAR security agencies and Nigerians who shared their stories,” the statement added.
It stated that the Nigerian agent accused of luring them into the job and abandoning them had been identified and is currently in Nigeria.
“The agent who lured them into the job scam is currently based in Nigeria and has been identified and is expected to be prosecuted,” the statement concluded.
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