Chinese Expatriate Controversy and Nigeria’s Immigration Integrity
On February 2026, Nigerian writer Kunle Awosika called on Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to immediately institute an independent investigation into a highly controversial immigration case involving five Chinese nationals arrested in August 2025 at Royal Castle Ceramics Company along the Sagamu Interchange in Ogun State.
The case has since evolved into a major test of whether Nigeria’s immigration laws are applied uniformly or selectively, particularly where powerful foreign economic interests are involved.
The five Chinese nationals were arrested during a joint operation by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Department of State Services after investigators found they were working full-time as sales managers, business managers, and interpreters while holding only Temporary Work Permits and business visas—categories explicitly prohibited for sustained employment under Nigeria’s Immigration Act.
Further checks reportedly showed that their employer, Hairun International Industry Company Limited, lacked valid expatriate quota approvals and business permits.
Initially, the arrests appeared to reflect a tougher enforcement posture aligned with the current administration’s reform agenda. However, the situation deteriorated rapidly. In October 2025, the five individuals were quietly allowed to exit Nigeria without formal deportation orders, prosecution, or payment of statutory fines. They reportedly left as ordinary outbound passengers, bypassing procedures required under Section 44 of the Immigration Act. Within days, all five re-entered Nigeria through Murtala Muhammed International Airport without hindrance.
Credible reports point to internal interference. An NIS memo had reportedly ordered their immediate re-apprehension, yet this directive was ignored. Sources allege that their release and re-entry were facilitated through unofficial lobbying by a retired senior NIS officer. Although a Ministry of Interior source later stated that “a full investigation has been launched,” no public documentation, disciplinary action, or official explanation has followed.
Awosika argues that the case now represents a broader institutional failure. He has demanded disclosure of arrest records, deportation documentation (or the absence of it), correspondence authorizing re-entry, confirmation of unpaid fines or sanctions, and clear public explanations from senior NIS leadership. Without transparency, he warns, enforcement risks appearing performative rather than substantive.
The Royal Castle Ceramics episode is not isolated. Throughout 2025, Nigerian authorities recorded multiple enforcement actions involving Chinese nationals, particularly in the mining sector. In July 2025, the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested seven Chinese nationals and four Nigerians for illegal ilmenite mining in Akwa Ibom State. Similar arrests occurred in Ogun, Niger, and Anambra States, often involving unlicensed extraction, industrial equipment, and local collaborators. Environmental damage and regulatory evasion featured consistently, while allegations—though unproven—raised concerns about broader security implications.
Immigration-related tensions escalated further. In August 2025, Nigeria deported 60 Chinese nationals over suspected cybercrime. In January 2026, a Chinese expatriate reportedly ordered the shooting of an NIS officer during a lawful inspection—an incident publicly condemned by Minister Tunji-Ojo as an attack on Nigerian sovereignty. In February 2026, authorities detained nearly 100 Chinese citizens nationwide, prompting formal diplomatic representations from the Chinese Embassy.
These enforcement actions unfolded against a backdrop of rapidly deepening Nigeria–China relations. In 2025, bilateral engagement intensified through high-level visits, including President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to China. Trade surged to $22.3 billion, Chinese direct investment rose sharply, and cooperation expanded across infrastructure, mining, clean energy, security, and military training.
Chinese officials have responded to enforcement actions with a consistent dual message: affirming Nigeria’s sovereign right to enforce its laws while insisting on the protection of Chinese citizens’ legal rights. Chinese Ambassador Yu Dunhai has emphasized security cooperation, investment expansion, and mutual respect as pillars of the relationship.
The unresolved issue at the heart of the controversy is stark: are Nigeria’s immigration and regulatory laws applied equally to all, or are some foreign nationals effectively shielded by economic and diplomatic leverage? The Royal Castle Ceramics case—marked by arrests without consequences and re-entry without accountability, suggests dangerous ambiguity.
Awosika’s call for an independent probe offers a corrective path: establish facts, identify breaches, discipline culpable officials, deter future misconduct, and restore public confidence. As Nigeria marks over five decades of diplomatic relations with China, the long-term health of the partnership depends not on selective leniency, but on transparent, consistent enforcement of Nigerian law.
Nigeria’s sovereignty, institutional credibility, and public trust cannot be sustained through quiet exceptions and opaque enforcement. A strong partnership with China is best preserved not by bending the rules, but by applying them clearly, uniformly, and visibly—without fear or favour.
