25-07-2025
Goment perfect plans to bring back Nigerians wey dey trapped on forced labour for CAR
Di Nigeria goment don begin moves to bring back a group of Nigerians wey dey stranded for Central African Republic (CAR) afta dia SOS video bin go viral on social media.
A statement by di tok-tok pesin of di Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NidCom) Abdur-Rahman Balogun, on Thursday say dem don contact di Nigeria Embassy for CAR to take up di issue.
For di viral video, di men claim say na one Chinese company bin recruit dem wit promise say work dey for dem for CAR, but wen dem arrive di kontri, dem first chop arrest and detention for four months bifor security pipo later release dem.
"Now, we don work here for six months, dem no pay us anytin. We arrive hia September last year, and delay us for four months for di capital city, dem arrest us, and wen we later come out dem bring us hia for dis bush," di man wey be like di tok-tok pesin for di group tok for di video.
E say wia dem dey na one village wey di name na Senye, for di Bambari region of CAR.
Bambari na di second largest city for CAR afta di capital Bangui, and for years armed groups bin dey control di area until just about a year ago wen troops from di United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in di Central African Republic (MINUSCA) declare di region free of militias.
MINUSCA still dey do peacekeeping work for CAR till date as di kontri still dey struggle wit armed conflicts, especially for mining communities.
Di men for di viral video tok say na mining work dem dey for dat village of Senye wia dem dey, but di Nigerian agent for di Chinese company wey carry dem come CAR, don abandon dem run bak to Nigeria.
Anoda man wey be citizen of CAR don seize all dia passports so dem no go fit go back.
"Even some of us dey ready to transport diasef back to Nigeria, but without our passports, security pipo go arrest us and na straight to prison," dem tok.
'We don secure dia passport bak' - Nigeria goment
For di statement wey e release late Thursday, di Nidcom oga Abdur-Rahman Balogun say di commission don establish contact wit di Nigerian men and also retrieve dia passports.
"Plans dey on to send a bus wey go carry dem to di embassy for Bangui wey be at least eight hour drive. Di agent in question don also dey identified," di statement tok.
Nidcom also thank di Nigeria embassy for CAR for dia "swift action" for di matter.
Dis no be di first time dis kind SOS video dey go viral from Nigerians wey dey trapped for forced labour and even prostitution for kontris around di world including African kontris.
In July 2024, Nidcom facilitate di return of about 58 young girls wey dia video bin go viral say dem dey trapped for Ghana wia dia captors force dem to dey do prostitution.
Dem later return eight more girls from Ghana for September and anoda 13 girls for November of 2024.
For April dis year, Nidcom oga kpatakpata Abike Dabiri-Erewa, tok say di commission don recover more dan 200 victims of trafficking for 2025 alone, according to di News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
More dan 50 million pipo for di world dey live for modern day slavery, according to di Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, one international initiative wey di head na former British Prime Minister Theresa May.
Wit more dan 1.6 million of Nigeria citizens as victims of modern day slavery and human trafficking, di kontri na di fifth African kontri wit di highest number, according to di commission latest report.
Di top five kontris for Africa wit di highest vulnerability to modern slavery for Africa Eritrea, Mauritania, South Sudan, di DRC and Nigeria.
Modern day slavery na di removal of somebody freedom to accept or refuse a job, dia freedom to leave one employer for anoda, or dia freedom to decide if, wen, and who to marry, in order to exploit dem for personal or financial gain, according to Walk Free, one international human rights group wey dey fight against modern day slavery.
E include forced labour, forced marriage, debt bondage, forced commercial sexual exploitation, human trafficking, slavery-like practices, and di sale and exploitation of children.
