ABUJA — The long arm of the law has finally caught up with Zhang Shijie, a high-profile Chinese fugitive who thought he could use Nigeria as a permanent sanctuary after executing a massive international timber scam.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, acting through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abuja, have successfully tracked down, arrested, and bundled the fugitive back to China. Zhang was smoked out of his hideout in the Ogere area of Ogun State, bringing an end to years of international evasion.
The Multi-Million Yuan Timber Heist
Zhang had been a marked man since January 7, 2021, when an arrest warrant was slapped on him by the Yangpu Sub-Bureau of the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Haikou Customs District .
Investigators revealed that between November 2020 and January 2021, Zhang orchestrated the industrial-scale smuggling of approximately 1,400 tonnes of Pterocarpus erinaceus—globally treasured and heavily endangered as African Rosewood.Indigenous to the fragile ecosystems of West Africa, this contraband timber haul was valued at a staggering 15.7 million Chinese Yuan (millions of naira).
A Fugitive’s Game of Hide-and-Seek in Ogun
Following the heat of the crackdown in his home country, Zhang slipped out of China and managed to go underground. Meticulous intelligence gathering by security operatives eventually pierced his digital and physical footprint, establishing that he had relocated to Nigeria.
For months, he lived quietly in Ogun State, brazenly beating security checks with a Chinese passport that had expired nearly three years prior, back on November 11, 2023
However, his luck ran out on September 10, 2026, when sleek and coordinated surveillance by INTERPOL NCB operatives cornered him in Ogere [cite:]. Following swift diplomatic and security clearance, Zhang was bundled onto a flight and repatriated to Guangzhou, China, on September 16, 2026, under strict bilateral security arrangements [cite:].
Nigeria Is No Safe Haven — Police Boss Warns
Reacting to the successful high-stakes operation, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, issued a stern warning to transnational criminal syndicates attempting to use Nigeria as a playground or hiding place.
Represented by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, the IGP maintained that the Force remains iron-clad in its commitment to leveraging advanced INTERPOL tools, sharing intelligence, and deepening international partnerships.
With Zhang now cooling his heels behind bars in Guangzhou, security watchers note that this swift crackdown serves as a chilling wake-up call to global economic saboteurs seeking to exploit West Africa’s natural resources.
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