Eight Nigerian men have remained in detention in Iraq for 19 days after they were arrested by Iraqi police for allegedly failing to present valid residency permits.
The workers were reportedly apprehended on February 19 while returning from work when security operatives stopped their vehicle and demanded their documents.
A brother to one of the detainees, Gbenga Awotula, disclosed that the men had been working for an Iraqi company, Alaq Albiariq, which he accused of refusing to assist in processing or presenting the workers’ residency permits to secure their release.
Awotula said the situation followed a disagreement between the workers and the company over newly introduced working hours, which the Nigerians reportedly declined to accept.
He explained that after the dispute, the company allegedly refused to transport the workers back to their accommodation, forcing them to hire a taxi before they were intercepted and arrested by the police.
According to him, the company had earlier assured the workers that their residency documents had already been processed, a claim he said raised concerns after the arrest.
Awotula added that efforts by the family to reach the company and seek assistance from Nigerian authorities had yielded little results, noting that officials of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission stated there was little they could do since the workers lacked valid permits.
