Six Nigerian workers have cried out for help after being abandoned by a Chinese mining firm, Rado Central Coal Mining Company, in a remote settlement in the Central African Republic, where they say they have laboured for over six months without pay.
In a viral video circulating on social media, the visibly distressed men narrated how they were recruited from Nigeria and transported to the Central African Republic in September 2024 under the promise of paid employment.
However, ten months later, they allege they have neither been paid nor given valid documentation to return home.
“We came here through a mining company that brought us from Nigeria to come and work,” one of the stranded men said.
“We have been here for 10 months, but we need the assistance of Nigerians. The company that brought us here has abandoned us.”
The workers claimed they were initially held in the capital city, Bangui, for four months before being transferred deep into the bush in the Bambari region, where the company, reportedly owned by two Chinese nationals — Mr. Yang and Mr. Wu — has been operating a remote mining site.
Their situation took a turn for the worse when they were allegedly detained by local authorities before being released and moved to an isolated area without basic amenities or means of communication.
According to the workers, their Nigerian manager, identified as Abdulmaruf Ademola Aregbe, returned to Nigeria and severed ties with them, claiming he was no longer responsible for their welfare.
His Central African business partner, simply identified as Amos, reportedly seized their passports, leaving them unable to travel.
“Without our passports, we cannot pass through the road because the law is very strict here. The distance between this place and Bangui is 850 kilometres,” one of the victims lamented.
The workers are currently stranded in Senye, under the Bambari region, and have called on the Nigerian government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to urgently intervene and facilitate their safe return.
Following the video’s circulation, NiDCOM confirmed awareness of the situation, stating via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle:
“The attention of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has been drawn to a viral video showing some Nigerians stranded in Central Africa. We are actively engaging with relevant authorities…”
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