The Nigerian government has condemned in strong terms the reported shooting of a Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) officer allegedly on the orders of a Chinese businessman in Abuja, describing the act as an assault on Nigeria’s sovereignty.
The incident reportedly took place at a Chinese-owned company in the nation’s capital. According to the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the foreign businessman directed a security officer to open fire on the NIS personnel during the execution of official duties.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ workshop on the Nigeria Visa Policy 2025, the Minister stated:
“An incident happened and I am taking that very personally. I don’t want to mention the company here, that shot one of our immigration personnel. The owner, the people of the company, foreign company, told the security officer to shoot our officer and he did it. That happened like a couple of weeks ago… It is unjust, and we are going to take it up with the Chinese Embassy.”
Calling the act “an attack on Nigeria,” Tunji-Ojo stressed that such brazen disregard for the nation’s law enforcement officers would not be tolerated.
“These officers put their lives on the line… and you will not come from anywhere and ask them to shoot them in their fatherland. It will no longer happen.”
In response to the incident, the Ministry of Interior announced a series of sweeping reforms aimed at strengthening immigration oversight and expatriate compliance in Nigeria. These include the automation of the national White, Grey, and Black lists used to track foreign nationals.
A new expatriate administration system will be rolled out beginning May 1, with a three-month “asylum window” for all expatriates to regularize their immigration status. After the August 1 deadline, enforcement, prosecution, and deportation measures will commence.
The Minister clarified that these measures are not targeted at any single country but are intended to ensure national security and uphold immigration law.
“There are Chinese people here doing fantastically well in our economy. There are Indians, Americans, Europeans. But no one will be allowed to disrespect our laws.”
Also speaking at the event, NIS Comptroller General Kemi Nana Nandap announced that visa classifications have been streamlined from 79 to 44, and a fully online e-visa system will soon be introduced to simplify and enhance the user experience.
As the federal government pursues diplomatic engagement with the Chinese Embassy, public outcry continues to mount over the perceived impunity of some foreign investors operating in Nigeria.
