The 11 Nigerian miners hitherto stranded in the Central African Republic (CAR) have been evacuated by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigeria’s embassy in Bangui.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that the miners, who had been abandoned by their employer in the remote town of Bambari, after a distress video pleading for help went viral on social media.
It was great relief as the Sky Airlines Boeing 747-200 aircraft with registration number ET-AXO, conveying the returnees landed in Abuja at exactly 4:45 p.m. on Thursday.
From the international wing, they were moved to the Hajj Terminal for formal reception, immigration clearance, and screening by relevant security agencies.
Recall that in the viral video, the miners accused a Chinese mining company that recruited them of abandoning and subjecting them to maltreatment for eight months in a far-flung mining village, 850 kilometres from Bangui, the capital of the French-speaking African country.
The footage showed six men pleading with Nigerians to help spread their save-our-sour message until it got to the attention of the Federal Government.
Their location was later identified as Senye, a village in the Bambari region of CAR. They were accompanied to Nigeria by the Nigerian Ambassador to CAR, Babagana Ahmed.
Welcoming them at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, NEMA Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, commended the swift inter-agency response to the miners’ distress call.
Mrs. Umar, who was represented by Air Commodore Kenneth Oyong, Director of Search and Rescue, said security agencies, including the Office of the National Security Adviser and the National Intelligence Agency, played key roles in the evacuation.
She disclosed that the miners, who had endured months of hardship without pay, were first relocated to the Nigerian ambassador’s residence in Bangui, where they received care before arrangements for return.
On arrival in Nigeria, the miners were given meals, overnight accommodation, and money to assist in reconnecting with their families.
Mrs. Umar reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for prompt attention to citizens in distress overseas.
Confirming the successful evacuation of the distressed Nigerians, Ambassador Ahmed recalled the viral video of July 24, 2025, in which they pleaded for urgent evacuation from Senye village.
Following swift intervention by the Nigerian Embassy, relevant CAR authorities, and the employer, they were rescued and evacuated to Bangui on July 28.
Since then, the embassy has provided them with accommodation, food, medical care, and other essential welfare support.
The mission thanked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the National Security Adviser, NEMA, embassy staff, and all stakeholders for their commitment to the evacuation process.
Ahmed said, “This rescue demonstrates the power of timely intervention and collaboration to safeguard Nigerians in distress”.
One of the repatriated miners, Oluremi Peters, who recounted their experience, said they were invited to CAR by a Nigerian associate and a Chinese national who promised them lucrative mining work.
Peters said they arrived in September 2024 but were left idle for four months, with assurances that equipment would arrive soon.
During this period, they were arrested by CAR police and detained for 16 days on suspicion of printing money or being bandits.
He said after release, they worked on a road project and later at a mining site, facing payment disputes with the employer.
According to Peters, “We were promised 450,000 CFA francs monthly, but received only 300,000 CFA for the first month and partial pay for the second”.
Frustrated, they made a video appeal to the Nigerian government, which he believed prompted swift intervention and repatriation.
While thanking the Nigerian government and the CAR embassy for their support, Peters advised young Nigerians to research thoroughly and secure concrete offers before accepting overseas work.
The miners’ safe repatriation reflects the administration’s resolve to protect its citizens wherever they are.
Peters said the government’s swift action was commended as proof of its commitment to citizens’ safety and welfare abroad.