400 Nigerians in Chinese jails

 

 

ABUJA: Four hundred Nigerians are serving jail term in various Chinese prisons, Treasurer of Nigerian Students Association, Alhaji Tukur Hassan Tingilin, has disclosed to Vanguard Learning.
Tingilin, a student of Tianjin University of Technology and Education, studying, Mechanical Manufacture and Automation, who spoke exclusively with Vanguard in Bejing, quoted the Nigerian Ambassador in China, Ambassador Aminu Wali, as saying that majority of affected Nigerians were jailed for drug related offences.
According to  Tingilin  “I was opportuned to be at Beijing in July just before the Presidential visit where I heard the Ambassador Aminu Wali saying there are currently over 400 Nigerians serving terms in various jails in China.

“Wali also disclosed that 80 per cent of the prisoners committed drug related offences and about 80 per cent of the crimes committed by Africans were committed by Nigerian citizens.
“We certainly have big issues with drug related crimes committed by Nigerians in China and when you look at the whole of Africa you find out that about 80 percent of all the offences and crimes committed by Africans in China about 80 percent is committed by Nigerians; that is why I think we are having running battle to try and control the situation.
He further quoted Ambassador Wali as saying,  “But we need assistance from back home, from the security agencies manning our exits and entry points in Nigeria to be more alert and vigilant to make sure these type of individuals do not escape and pass through our routes to come into, not only to China but any other country in the world because drug trafficking as it were, drug is the biggest problem that we have as far as Nigerians are concerned.
“A lot of them don’t come in with their real names so sometimes with difficulties we only know when they are taken prisoners or they are sentenced and they are looking for consular visits.”


Source: Vanguardngr