From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The China General Chamber of Commerce (CGCC) in Nigeria, has said that neither Chinese citizens nor Chinese companies were involved in the shooting of an Immigration officer in Niger State.
The China General Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria also said the shooting of the immigration officer by the police was accidental.
It added that Chinese companies in Nigeria abide by the laws and regulations of Nigeria and are committed to the economic and social development of Nigeria.
The Director General, China General Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria, Cui Guangzhen, made the clarification in a statement issued in Abuja.
Cui said the attention of the China General Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria was drawn to the reports credited to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who condemned the shooting of an immigration officer allegedly on the orders of a Chinese company operating in Nigeria in a briefing on March 27.
The Interior Minister had on Thursday during a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop on the implementation of the Nigeria Visa Policy 2025 in Abuja, said there was nowhere in the world such an action would be tolerated.
While also saying that the action was an attack on Nigeria, Tunji-Ojo assured that he would escalate the matter to the highest diplomatic level, particularly with the Chinese authorities.
The China General Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria however said it attached great importance to the reports and carried out an immediate investigation.
“During a police action, the state police force was trying to effect an arrest of some local citizen who was suspected of stealing iron rods from a Chinese company. When encountering stiff resistance of the suspect, one of the police officers fired a shot and the bullet accidentally hit a passer-by who was later identified to be an immigration officer,” the China General Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria explained.
The China General Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria further said that neither Chinese citizens nor Chinese companies were involved in the incident, saying that the allegation that a Chinese company employee ordered the shooting of a Nigerian immigration officer is utterly false.