A Port Harcourt-based journalist has alleged that a Chinese oil and gas firm, BGP/CNPC International has locked up its Nigerian staff for four months against their will.
Using his Facebook handle, the journalist alleged that BGP has refused to let their Nigerian staff leave its premises since March 2020 till date.
He added that they have been kept under military guard and forced to continue working in their premises at KM 12 Aba-Expressway, Eleme Junction, Opp. Sobaz filling Station, Port Harcourt for four months.
A representative of the company refused to comment on the allegation when contacted by theportcitynews.
BGP on its website said it has been providing geophysical services for many energy companies at home and abroad since 1960.
“Our experienced and capable employees have operated under all hostile terrain conditions.
“At present, BGP has 65 land crews and 6 seismic vessels operating overseas. Fifty overseas branches and offices have been established in Asia, America, Africa and the Middle East”.
BGP’s primary client in Nigeria is Shell and boasts of having successfully completed “all contracts for Shell in spite of many tough social and environmental constraints and difficulties, including interference from local communities, bandit activities, sabotage, and epidemic diseases”.
It further claimed its performance in Nigeria has been highly commended by Shell on many occasions and has been a good example for other operations.
Recall that the Abuja Police Command had on 30th June rescued eight Nigerians who were locked inside an apartment for four months by their employers who were Chinese nationals.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of 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, alerting the presenter of a prime time programme, “Berekete Family” of the Nigerians who have been locked in for four months by their employers.
It was not clear what kind of services the Nigerians were rendering to the Chinese, but they were said to be the domestic staff of the couple.
One of the rescued Nigerians who gave his name as Alex said he worked 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.”
“Even yesterday, when this man (pointing at one of the workers) sent someone to buy him water, N500 was deducted from his salary that is yet to be paid,” Alex added.
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.
One of the workers, a woman, who was livid with anger said they have been facing maltreatment in the hands of the Chinese since the house arrest.
“When I was seriously sick, I was asking these people (Chinese) to open the gate for me, they did not until I got very angry,” she said.
She said N1000 was deducted from the salary of one of them who was ill and needed to go out to get drugs.
“I know my work would be at risk, I don’t mind, let us go to the police station,” the angry woman said.
During the rescue operation, the two Chinese were arrested by the police, though there were four of them sighted in the house.
While operatives of the police attempted to arrest them, the couples made frantic efforts to call a particular person as they refused to be taken into the waiting vehicle of the police.
But it appeared that the person they were calling instructed them to go with the police, as the wife was heard on phone saying “okay, I would go, I would go.”
