The Nigeria Police Force has arrested and repatriated a Chinese national, Xu Qing, accused of orchestrating a $245 million Ponzi scheme fraud, back to his home country for prosecution.
The development was disclosed by the Nigeria Police Force on May 6 via its official X account, detailing the arrest and extradition carried out through its INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abuja.
Police said the suspect had fled from China to Nigeria in a bid to evade arrest, but was later tracked down by authorities following an international warrant issued against him.
Authorities explained that the repatriation was initiated after a formal request from Chinese officials, who declared Xu Qing wanted for his alleged role in a massive financial fraud scheme valued at over $245 million.
The police further stated that, acting on intelligence and sustained surveillance, operatives tracked and arrested the suspect at a factory in Ogun State before facilitating his return to China through bilateral cooperation arrangements.
The latest repatriation adds to a growing list of foreign nationals returned to their home countries over criminal activities linked to Nigeria.
Those deported included citizens from China, the Philippines, Tunisia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Timor-Leste.
The convicts, like the deported suspects, were part of a larger syndicate of 792 individuals arrested over alleged cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud.
Although Chinese nationals have featured prominently among foreign criminal suspects in Nigeria in recent years, the Asian country maintains strong economic ties with Nigeria.
The police reiterated that Nigeria will not serve as a safe haven for fugitives, while urging businesses to conduct proper background checks before engaging foreign nationals.