The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has repatriated a Chinese national, Zhang Shijie, to China following his arrest in Nigeria over alleged large-scale smuggling of endangered African rosewood.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a post on X on Thursday.
Iniedu said Zhang was wanted by the Yangpu Sub-Bureau of the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Haikou Customs District in China over the alleged smuggling of about 1,400 tonnes of Pterocarpus erinaceus, commonly known as African rosewood.
He said the consignment was valued at about 15.7 million Chinese yuan.
According to him, the alleged offences were committed between November 2020 and January 2021, while an arrest warrant was issued for Zhang on Jan. 7, 2021.
He said intelligence later established that Zhang was residing in Ogun and using a Chinese passport that expired on Nov. 11, 2023.
Iniedu said operatives of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, arrested Zhang on Sept. 10, 2026, in the Ogere area of Ogun, following intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated investigations.
He said the suspect was subsequently repatriated to Guangzhou, China, on Sept. 16, in furtherance of bilateral police cooperation.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reaffirmed the commitment of the NPF to strengthening international police cooperation and maximising INTERPOL tools and capabilities to track fugitives and combat transnational organised crime.
The NPF said it would continue to work with INTERPOL and other international law-enforcement agencies to disrupt cross-border criminal networks and prevent Nigeria from becoming a safe haven for persons wanted for criminal offences in other countries.
