Eight Nigerian domestic workers have been rescued from their Chinese employers in Abuja who allegedly locked and kept them in their apartment for the past four months.

WuzupNigeria reports that the Nigerians were rescued by the police from the Utako Divisional Police station in the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday after a tip-off.

It was gathered that the ‘whistleblower’ had reported the incident on the Human Rights radio station prompting policemen to raid the residence of the Chinese nationals in the Jabi, Abuja and arrested the Chinese couple.

The domestic employees were also taken to the station.

In a video shot by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting [ICRC], the victims said they had been locked up in the Jabi apartment since February.

A lady who did not give her name said they were not allowed to move out of the building, insisting that the couple also did not allow her to go for treatment when she was sick.

She added,

“When I was seriously sick, I asked these people (Chinese employers) to open the gate for me, they refused until I was very angry before they opened the door. I know my life may be at risk but I don’t mind, let the world know what is happening.

“They (Chinese) told us that if someone is going out, he could help buy something for us, but when this man (referring to a colleague) went out to buy sachet water, they deducted his salary. What do they want us to do?

“We had to stay in the room and talk to people through the windows. They don’t give us food; apart from the salary, they don’t give you anything, they even cut the salary.”

The driver to the Chinese nationals who simply identified himself as Alex said he and the seven others had been working as domestic staff to the couple since the outbreak of COVID-19 in February.

“They never allowed us to go out since February; If any of us goes out and they know, a certain percentage of his salary will be deducted.”

“Even yesterday (Monday), when this man (pointing to one of the workers) sent someone to buy water, N500 was deducted from his salary that is yet to be paid,” Alex added.

Another worker also said the couple deducted N3,000 from his salary because he went out to fill his pension form.

However, The Punch reported on Friday that the domestic staff had refused to cooperate with the police, adding that when they got to the station, they claimed they were not being forcefully detained by their employers.

“We were surprised by the refusal of the Nigerians to disclose the full details of their ordeal to the police. All of them claimed that they chose to stay with the Chinese couple without coercion, but that was not the information that prompted our visit to the apartment. From the look of things, there may be more to what they were telling us,” he said.

The spokesman, Federal Capital Territory Police Command, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, confirmed the incident, noting that investigation had commenced.

He said the Chinese couple had been released on bail.