The 11 Nigerian miners stranded in the Central African Republic have returned to the country through the intervention of the Federal Government.
According to a statement by the National Emergency Management Agency, the Nigerians arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday.
The Nigerian ambassador to the Central African Republic, Babagana Ahmed, accompanied the returnees to Nigeria.
The Asky Airlines Boeing 747-200 aircraft, with registration number ET-AXO, conveying the returnees, landed in the country’s capital at exactly 4:45 pm.
From the international wing, the returnees were transported to the Hajj Terminal, where they were formally received, cleared by the Nigerian Immigration Service, and screened by other relevant security agencies.
In late July, the stranded Nigerians, in a viral video, sought help to be returned to Nigeria after a Chinese company allegedly abandoned them in a remote site in the CAR.
Speaking about their ordeal on Thursday, one of the returnees, Mr Freeborn Igorigo, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for its timely rescue and the warm, dignified reception accorded to them.