The federal government expressed anger at an incident in which a Chinese expat ordered a Nigerian security official in defense of a Nigerian security official shot and killed a NIS staff member of the Nigerian Immigration Services Agency, a department that is legally tasked at the premises of a Chinese-owned company.
Interior Minister Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-ojo revealed this at a stakeholder stakeholder 2025 held in Abuja on Thursday.
According to the minister, Nigeria seeks reciprocity in citizen treatment in other countries, noting that there is no reason to disrespect any Nigerians who comply with the laws of the host country.
“One issue I have to mention is that some of our companies that refuse to intimidate the Immigration Services are responsible for oversight. This will not happen again.
I wouldn’t go to any country, open a company, and say immigration services can’t come in. No, I won’t do that. The incident happened and I accepted it very personally. I don’t want to mention this company here, that shot one of our immigrants. The owner of the company, the people of the company, foreign companies told security personnel to shoot our officials, and he did it. That happened a few weeks ago. I think this is unfair, right? We will occupy it with the Chinese Embassy. That is a Chinese company. I wouldn’t go to China, as a Nigerian, to open a company and tell my security guards to shoot government officials in uniform. It has never been done anywhere in the world. This alone is an attack on Nigeria. It never happens. It never happens.
These officials gave their lives. These officials go all out with them to serve this country, you will not come from anywhere, ask them to shoot in their home country. It will no longer happen. We will carry it with you. It will no longer happen. I can’t imagine it. To get the father to leave the child, defend Nigeria, and assume his legal responsibility, go to a company and say, I need to see your expatriates. Let’s take a look at your list. Just ask questions, and then they should lock the door. Because I’m doing this work here. That’s it. Next, if you don’t, I’d say they should shoot you, and next is the Nigerian officer being shot. That’s a diplomatic issue. We’ll handle it.
It won’t happen again. So, we will be very hard. We will not stop your business. We won’t go beyond your business. But don’t let us be inferior in our own land. No, please.
And we will be very hard. Because I’m not just passionate about talking to you. On this topic, I talked in anger because the guy who was shot was Nigerian and we all use the constitution to protect Nigerian laws. The man who was not shot by terrorists was his father. The guy who was shot was shot, he was someone’s son. He is someone’s husband. This can’t happen anywhere in the world. We won’t tolerate it. Please, no agent, no company is above the law. We are all below, we are all within the scope of the law.
Please, we are trying our best to make things easier. We are trying our best to work with you, but please do not insult us. We won’t disrespect you. As long as the president is president, no one in Nigeria disrespects you.
But all we ask for is respectful reciprocity. He added.
The minister said the Chinese delegation led by the ambassador met him earlier and complained that they were blacklisted, but said Nigeria was not included in China on the blacklist.
“And I’m talking publicly here. China is Nigeria’s main trading partner. I always say that.
“We will never be under his Excellency, we will never draw the whole street with one brush. There are Nigerians there. The Chinese here are doing well in our economy. Indians invest billions of dollars in the economy. Americans have Europeans. Of course, there are a lot of Nigerians, and we all have questions in many countries.
“So, we are not going to paint an entire street with a single brush. All we have said, and I want to repeat this, because we are going to work very hard in terms of our immigration, is that we will not allow for the abuse of our immigration protocols. We will not accept that. And as a matter of fact, by 1st of May, for expatriates in Nigeria and people working in Nigeria, there will be what we call an expatriate administration system, whereby everybody comes into that platform.
“At the end of the day, we want to be able to know where you are and what you are doing, and we want to be responsible for everyone in Nigeria. We will provide a three-month window. I call it the asylum window from May 1 to August 1 to formalize immigration agreements under our laws.
“After that, we will enter the era of law enforcement, prosecution and deportation. For anyone who doesn’t. Because we know a lot of immigration policies that abuse us today. But before taking action, we want to give you the opportunity to act. Anyone has other scope in Nigeria. Announcement.
