Minister of Interior Tunji-Ojo has retracted his earlier statement, that a Chinese expatriate had a hand in the shooting of a Nigerian immigration officer at a Chinese firm in Niger State.
The minister in a statement signed by his spokesman, Alao Babatunde said further investigations revealed that the gunshot was not ordered by a Chinese national.
The statement read: “Following the report of the alleged shooting of an officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service in Niger State, further investigations have revealed that the officer was hit by a stray bullet that was neither shot on the order of the Chinese company nor its employee.
“A full-fledged investigation has been launched into the shooting of the personnel in collaboration with other security agencies. This is to unravel the detailed circumstances surrounding the shooting while giving assurance that anyone found culpable will be brought to book.
“The Minister reaffirms his strong commitment to ensuring the safety, dignity, and professional integrity of all law enforcement officers. He emphasises the government’s ongoing support for law-abiding businesses in Nigeria and reiterates the Ministry of Interior’s dedication to fostering strong partnerships with foreign nationals, aiming to build sustainable collaboration for social economic development.”
The minister had earlier been reported to have at a stakeholders sensitisation workshop on the implementation of the Nigeria Visa policy 2025, declared that the Nigerian government will take up the matter of the shooting as a diplomatic issue.
He said the development alone is an attack on Nigeria. “It will never happen. It will never be tolerated.”
Earlier the China Chamber of General in Nigeria in a statement signed by its Director General Dr. Cui Guangzhen had described the statement credited to the minister as utterly false and not a reflection of what happened
