NPF Repatriates Chinese Fugitive Wanted Over Rosewood Smuggling

The Nigeria Police Force has repatriated a Chinese national, Zhang Shijie, to China following his arrest in Ogun State over alleged large-scale smuggling of endangered African Rosewood.

Zhang was arrested by operatives of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, on September 10, 2026, in the Ogere area of Ogun State.

The police said he 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.

According to the police, the consignment, valued at approximately 15.7 million Chinese Yuan, was allegedly smuggled between November 2020 and January 2021.

The force said an arrest warrant was issued for Zhang on January 7, 2021, after which he allegedly remained outside China.

Intelligence later established that he was residing in Ogun State with a Chinese passport that had expired on November 11, 2023.

Following sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated investigations, INTERPOL NCB Abuja arrested Zhang and subsequently repatriated him to Guangzhou, China, on September 16.

The repatriation, the police said, was carried out as part of bilateral police cooperation between Nigeria and China.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, said the Nigeria Police Force remained committed to strengthening international police cooperation and using INTERPOL tools to track fugitives and combat transnational organised crime.

The IGP said the force would continue working with INTERPOL and other international law-enforcement partners to prevent Nigeria from being used as a safe haven by persons wanted for criminal offences in other jurisdictions.