The Police in Abuja on Tuesday rescued eight Nigerians held against their will inside an apartment for the past four months by their employers who are Chinese nationals.
Six police officers from FCT Divisional Police Command in Utako raided House No. 117 at Jabi area of Abuja, the residence of the Chinese nationals whose neighbours said are couples.
The operation followed a call by a radio listener to Human Rights Radio on Tuesday morning, alerting the presenter of a prime time programme, “Berekete Family” of the Nigerians who have been locked in for four months by their employers.
The rescued Nigerians were reportedly domestic staff of the couples.
One of the rescued Nigerians who gave his name as Alex said he works as a driver for the Chinese couples, he and seven others are domestic workers and have been locked in since the outbreak of COVID-19 late February.
“They never allowed us to go out since February,” Alex told the ICIR.
“If anyone of us goes out and they know, a certain percentage of his salary will be deducted.”
He said the Chinese did not care about their feeding since the house arrest.
Another worker who did not give his name disclosed that N3000 was deducted from his salary because he defied the house arrest order when he went out to fill his pension form.
The two Chinese and their victims have been taken to the Utako Police Station for interrogation.
