Stranded miners recount sexual abuse by Chinese employers in Central African Republic

Twelve Nigerian miners recently evacuated from the Central African Republic (CAR) have alleged that they were sexually abused by their Chinese employers while stranded in the country.

The miners, who were received on Friday in Abuja by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), narrated their ordeal during a briefing at the commission’s headquarters.

According to a statement by Abdurrahman Balogun, Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols at NiDCOM, the evacuation was carried out in collaboration with key government agencies.

The miners were rescued from a remote forest village in CAR and transported to the Nigerian embassy in Bangui, before being flown back to Nigeria on Thursday. The repatriation process reportedly lasted three weeks.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Igorigo Freeborn, leader of the rescued miners, recounted the inhumane conditions they endured after being abandoned by their recruiters without pay.

“We lived in harsh and unsafe conditions in the forest for months. For 11 months, we were not paid, and during that time, we were homosexually abused by our Chinese employers in CAR,” Freeborn said.

He described the experience as demeaning but said he chose to speak out so that others could learn from their plight.

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“I am not ashamed to say it. We were treated badly, but thank God we are alive to tell our stories today,” he added.

Freeborn also admitted that he previously doubted Nigeria’s willingness to protect its citizens abroad but expressed gratitude for the government’s intervention.

Dabiri-Erewa condemned the miners’ ordeal as “inhumane and unacceptable”, assuring that NiDCOM and relevant agencies would ensure justice.

She urged the men to support the commission’s ongoing advocacy against irregular migration, stressing that many Nigerians are often lured abroad with false promises only to end up in abusive or exploitative conditions.

NiDCOM also provided the miners with cash support to aid their reintegration, while the law firm Perchstone & Greys offered an additional financial donation.

While investigations are expected to follow, rights advocates say the miners’ testimonies underscore the urgent need for stronger bilateral protections for Nigerian migrant workers, particularly in remote regions of Africa where labour exploitation is rife.