Nigeria Police arrest, repatriate fugitive Chinese

After over five years on the run, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), working through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abuja, has arrested and repatriated a notorious Chinese fugitive, Zhang Shijie, to Guangzhou, China.

Shijie was wanted by the Yangpu Sub-Bureau of the Anti-Smuggling Bureau under the Haikou Customs District for alleged ringleader role in the massive smuggling of approximately 1,400 tonnes of Pterocarpus erinaceus, an endangered timber species locally known as African Rosewood.

The illicit timber consignment is valued at about 15.7 million Chinese Yuan.

A statement released by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, explained operatives of the INTERPOL NCB Abuja tracked down and apprehended the fugitive on September 10, 2026, in the Ogere area of Ogun State following months of sustained intelligence-gathering and covert surveillance.

The statement recalled Chinese authorities had issued a formal warrant for Shijie's arrest on January 7, 2021 over illicit operations between November 2020 and January 2021.

Following the criminal haul, the suspect fled China and went underground in Nigeria, residing in Ogun State with a Chinese passport expired since November 11, 2023.

Extradition proceedings were swiftly concluded and the suspect was flown out of the country to Guangzhou on September 16, 2026, to face trial under Chinese law.

Reaffirming Nigeria's stance against international criminals, the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Olatunji Disu, emphasised that the NPF remains fully committed to leveraging INTERPOL tools to disrupt cross-border crime networks, tracking down foreign fugitives, and ensuring Nigeria never becomes a safe haven for international criminals.