A storm is brewing within Nigeria’s immigration system as operatives have called on the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to investigate allegations that deported Chinese nationals were secretly allowed to return to the country for work without proper documentation.
Sources within the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) revealed that the controversy began after five Chinese nationals arrested in August 2025 were quietly repatriated — only to allegedly re-enter Nigeria within days under questionable circumstances.
The men — Zhang Damou, Qian Jin, Tang Pan, Lin Jianfeng, and Guo Zhengheng — were arrested on August 12, 2025, during a joint sting operation by immigration officers and the Department of State Services at Royal Castle Ceramics Company Limited, located near Sagamu Interchange in Ogun State.
According to insiders, the factory allegedly lacked the required business permit and expatriate quota approvals, while the workers were reportedly using Temporary Work Permits and business visas — categories not permitted for long-term employment.
The suspects were detained at the NIS headquarters in Sauka, Abuja, and released on August 21 after what sources described as the intervention of a retired senior immigration officer. They were later deported, but reports indicate they returned to Nigeria within 48 hours without facing prosecution, fines, or official sanctions.
Aggrieved NIS personnel say the development undermines the agency’s enforcement credibility and contradicts the reform agenda championed by the Interior Minister.
Officials are now demanding transparency over how standard deportation protocols — including penalties, blacklisting, and formal documentation — were allegedly bypassed.
They also called for explanations from top immigration leadership, including Comptroller-General Kemi Nana Nandap and Assistant Comptroller-General for Investigation and Compliance, Idris Ozigi.
The incident has raised broader concerns about possible interference, selective enforcement, and systemic weaknesses in Nigeria’s border control framework.
Insiders warn that failure to investigate could damage public confidence in ongoing immigration reforms designed to curb illegal foreign employment, protect local jobs, and ensure compliance with national laws.
They insist that transparency — including the release of investigation records, deportation documents, and any penalty details — is crucial to restoring trust.
As pressure mounts, observers say the case is now a major test of Nigeria’s commitment to immigration accountability and equal enforcement of the law.
SUNTV Global Channel reports that the Ministry of Interior has yet to issue an official response as calls for an independent probe continue to intensify.
