29 November 2009
The Nigerian Ambasador to China Alhaji Aminu Wali yesterday in Beijing said Nigerians accounted for about 90 per cent of the crimes committed by Africans in China. Wali said the development was unfortunate as it had portrayed the nation in bad light.
"Comparatively of all the crimes committed by Africans in China, Nigerians occupy about 90 per cent. Currently, we have over 100 Nigerians in various jails across China, excluding those already sentenced to life imprisonment," he said.
Wali said Nigerians were being jailed for drug-related offences, illegal immigration and human trafficking, among others.
The ambassador, however, refuted reports that 23 corpses, awaiting cremation in China, were of those who died in jail. He said some of the corpses had been in the morgue for more three years and had not been claimed by relatives. He said that the embassy had apply for an extension of time to enable it to contact relatives of the deceased in Nigeria.
Wali also observed that most of the Nigerian illegal immigrants came to China as nationals of other African countries, "so when such people die, it becomes difficult to repatriate their bodies home because they do no not have Nigerian passports".
On the challenges facing the Nigerian community, Wali said that "they were being harassed constantly as offenders of the law and robberies in the Guangdong Province where there is a large concentration of Nigerians".
The ambassador further said that the mission was sensitising the Nigerian community to how to adapt to the laws of the land. He called on the relevant government agencies in Nigeria to screen and carry out security checks on people wishing to visit China. (NAN)
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