Nigeria to deport Chinese textile smugglers
(Nigeria) The Chinese businessmen behind the massive illegal
importation of textiles to Kano State are to be deported from Nigeria.
The fate of the businessmen was announced after a joint
inspection visit to Kano by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhahi Dikko Abdullahi
and the Comptroller - General of
Immigration, David Parradang.
The five Chinese nationals were involved in the operation of
illegal warehouses in Kano, where prohibited textile materials worth billions
of Naira were uncovered by Customs anti-smuggling operatives.
Comptroller- General of Immigration, David Parradang, disclosed
that investigations by his Service revealed that three out of the five Chinese nationals
do not possess valid travel documents to reside and engage in any business in
Nigeria beyond the scope of their admission. Immediate steps will therefore be
taken to effect their deportation.
Investigations are still in progress to ascertain the
immigration status of the other two Chinese nationals.
The Comptroller-General further stated that the Service will
intensify routine mop-up operations to ease out irregular immigrants. He added
that those who are law-abiding and contribute to the national economic
development through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and technology transfer
will be encouraged and given every possible assistance.
Those involved in the illegal textile warehouse business are
Gao Guoxu, aged 26 with passport No
E12893246, Li Yang, 28 ,with Passport No E39324316 and Zhang Jiantao , 26 with
Passport No E00078159. The rest are Zhao
Shoumin, 26 with Passport No E32882412,
and Zhou Jinxue , 35 with Passport No E23094307.
Reacting to insinuations that there are more foreign
nationals doing illegal business in Nigeria, the CG Immigrations appealed to
well-meaning Nigerians to oblige the Service information about such foreigners.
Meanwhile, a team of Customs Valuation Officers are still
collating the textile seizures to determine the quantity and value. Comptroller
General of Customs, Dikko Inde Abdullahi said the team has concluded the
exercise in only one of the 75 warehouses
that were sealed up by his men. Textiles
items discovered in the warehouse
according to him was valued at N4.2 billion.
He told reporters that the objective of the joint operation
in Kano is about salvaging the national economy through the protection of the
textile industry. He said the huge
seizure made through intelligence network cultivated over a period of three
months shows that some illegal foreigners are sabotaging Nigerian economy
through their illegal business.
Responding to questions on how the Service will handle the
seized textiles, the CG Customs stated that in view of its sheer volume, the
Service will make report to the appropriate authorities of the Federal
Government to seek direction.
Two weeks ago, the CG anti- Smuggling unit stormed six
warehouses in Gandun Albasa area of Kano, where textiles worth billions of
Naira were uncovered.
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