EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian Woman Returns from Kyrgyzstan After Months Of Forced Labour, Visa Harassment, Others Still Trapped

One of three Nigerian nationals stranded in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, has finally returned home, exposing the harsh conditions faced by migrants in Central Asia and sparking renewed calls for government intervention.

Mrs. Olaitan Sekinat Tiamiyu, from Ogun State, arrived in Nigeria on July 3, 2025, after enduring months of distress in Bishkek.

Her ordeal involved visa complications, police harassment, and forced labour, after she fell victim to a travel agent who charged her over ₦4 million for what was supposed to be a teaching job paying $800 monthly.

Instead, Mrs. Tiamiyu said she arrived in Kyrgyzstan only to be told she had come to join a football club—an arrangement she had never agreed to.

“What I met upon getting to Kyrgyzstan was totally different from what my agent promised. There was no teaching job. Instead, we were abandoned and left to fend for ourselves under harsh conditions,” she told SaharaReporters in an earlier interview.

Her case is part of a wider crisis affecting Nigerian nationals stuck in Kyrgyzstan. Alongside her are Obi John Ikechukwu from Enugu State and Aisha Morenikeji from Oyo State, who remain trapped in Bishkek. All three have alleged severe human rights abuses, including forced labour under inhumane conditions.

While trying to return home, Mrs. Tiamiyu faced more hurdles after Kyrgyz immigration officials flagged her passport because of a red alert placed on her travel agent. Her passport was confiscated, and she was denied an exit visa. Authorities forced her into farm work to pay for daily accommodation, worsening her physical and mental health.

“We are here working for someone; the person is paying us 1,000 som, which has little value. My health can’t take it,” Mrs. Tiamiyu recounted.

She said she was also paying 700 Kyrgyz som daily—about ₦12,600 or $7.93—for accommodation she could no longer afford.

Another Nigerian man, whose name has been withheld for security reasons, remains stranded after suffering a severe accident in March. He says he urgently needs medical care in Nigeria and has pleaded for immediate help.

“The longer I remain here, the more serious my injuries and pain become,” he said.

Following SaharaReporters’ initial story, Mrs. Tiamiyu and other Nigerians were summoned for interrogation by Kyrgyz authorities, a process that lasted for several days.

It was reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic stated that relevant agencies were reviewing the situation involving the three stranded Nigerians.

However, Mrs. Tiamiyu eventually secured her freedom after urgently raising funds for a flight ticket, which paved the way for her return.

Speaking with SaharaReporters on Tuesday, Mrs. Tiamiyu narrated how Kyrgyz officials initially denied her exit visa, despite her attempts to pay all required fees online. It was only through determination and help from diaspora groups that she managed to leave.

She said: “I returned from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on the 3rd of July, 2025. I was unable to extend my visa in the country, so I couldn’t work, and house rent was very expensive daily. I decided to leave the country.

“To leave requires an exit visa, and you have to pay for the days you’ve overstayed, plus police charges and visa fees. I tried to pay all these through the portal, but my application was denied. I was told I needed to pay another set of fees, but this time, I was summoned in person.

“That was when the police got involved. They summoned other Nigerians to appear at the station, interrogated all of us, and seized our passports. They claimed the documents used for our visas might not be genuine. But no one was arrested.

“I got approval to leave two Fridays ago, and last Monday, they finally issued the exit visa. In that country, there’s no such thing as deportation.

“After receiving the visa, I asked for my passport, but they told me it would only be released if I bought my flight ticket within 10 days. We managed to raise the money, mostly by borrowing, and eventually bought the ticket. That’s how I finally got my passport back.”

Mrs. Tiamiyu, who stated that the fate of other stranded Nigerians in Kyrgyzstan remained uncertain, called on the Nigerian government to rescue them.

Meanwhile, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) had strongly advised citizens to avoid travelling to countries where Nigeria has no diplomatic presence, is not recognised by the United Nations, or is grappling with armed conflict.

Speaking with SaharaReporters in June, NiDCOM spokesperson Abdur-Rahman Balogun singled out Russia, Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Syria, and Libya as particularly high-risk destinations.

“Nigerians should stop travelling to countries where Nigeria doesn’t have an embassy, is not recognised by the UN, or is in a state of war, such as Russia, Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Syria, Libya, and many more,” he said.