Mariam Abeeb
A Nigerian law firm, headed by human rights lawyer Barrister Frank Tietie, has raised serious concerns regarding what it describes as a growing pattern of financial injustice affecting Nigerian importers doing business in China.
The firm has called for immediate diplomatic intervention, warning that the situation could jeopardize Nigeria’s trade relationship with China.
During a press briefing in Abuja, Barrister Tietie revealed that Nigerian importers are increasingly falling victim to fraud and harsh crackdowns by Chinese authorities.
He highlighted the cases of two Nigerian importers, Okonkwo Nancy Ijeoma and Mudasiru Balogun Jimoh, who reportedly lost 60 million Naira in a failed currency exchange deal. The two paid the funds in Naira to a Chinese businesswoman based in Nigeria, expecting an equivalent amount in Yuan to be sent to a supplier in China. However, the goods were never delivered, and the funds were subsequently frozen by Chinese authorities, allegedly under suspicion of money laundering.
Tietie accused the Zhe Jiang Shang Yu Police Station in China of routinely freezing accounts without due process, pointing out that Nigerian traders are being unfairly targeted under China’s anti-money laundering laws. He criticized the lack of opportunity for defense or recovery, leaving many Nigerian businesses in financial distress.
The lawyer also expressed disappointment over the inaction of Nigerian authorities, such as the police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in protecting citizens abroad.
In a related development, a Chinese business consultant, Jiang Xia, also spoke out, revealing that he had lost nearly a million dollars in a similar manner. Jiang explained that China’s current legal framework fails to distinguish between legitimate businesspeople and suspected criminal actors, causing significant harm to those engaged in lawful trade.
The law firm has called on the federal government to take diplomatic action, urging China to conduct transparent investigations and implement measures to safeguard Nigerian business interests in the country.
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