Balqees Adeniji
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has condemned the shooting of an immigration officer in Niger State, allegedly on the orders of a Chinese company, describing it as an attack on Nigeria.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop on the Nigeria Visa Policy 2025, Tunji-Ojo expressed outrage over the incident, vowing that the federal government would take firm action against the company responsible.
“I will not go to any country, open a company, and say the immigration service cannot come in. I will not do that,” he stated. “A foreign company in Nigeria ordered its security attaché to shoot one of our officers? That is an attack on Nigeria, and we will not let it slide.”
The minister revealed that the shooting occurred a few weeks ago when an immigration officer, while on duty, sought to verify the status of expatriates working at the company.
“For a father to leave his children and go to work to fulfil his legitimate responsibility, only to be locked out and shot for simply asking to see expatriates’ work permits? That is unacceptable,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo further warned that the federal government would engage the Chinese embassy on the matter, stressing that no company is above the law.
“I won’t go to China as a Nigerian, enter a company, and order my security to shoot a uniformed government official. It’s never done anywhere in the world,” he said.
The minister emphasized that foreign businesses must respect Nigerian laws and authorities, warning that the government has the power to revoke licenses of errant firms.
“We will not tolerate this. No company, no agent is above the law,” he declared. “We are working to make things easier for businesses, but they must not insult our sovereignty. Mutual respect is non-negotiable.”
Tunji-Ojo also announced that, starting May 1, the federal government would implement an expatriate administration system to monitor foreign workers in Nigeria, as part of efforts to address issues of irregular migration.
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