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When Nigerians battled police in China …Several injured From ANDY ELEREWE, Abuja with Agency report Monday, August 31, 2009 •Lying on the ground, Chigozie Asukwa (not real names) Photo: Sun News Publishing More Stories on This Section Ohineme Ndubisi, a Nigerian in Plaza, Guangzhou, China is one of the unlucky Nigerians daring to escape intense raids by the local Chinese Police on illegal immigrants. Ohineme’s story is a gory one that reminds you of a Hollywood block-burster film. Realizing that the team of policemen had rounded him up in a corner on the fifth floor of the Market Plaza in Guangzhou, China, he shattered the window glass with his bare hands and dived through it to the ground floor. As he jumped, a sharp edge of the shattered glass pierced through his stomach, slicing it into two. Surrounded by some policemen who had earlier laid siege to the ground floor, the young Nigerian grilled in pains as blood gushed from his open stomach. Before he was taken to the hospital. The news of his adventurous stunt had attracted a crowed of bewildered passers bye including Nigerians around. But Ndubuisi was not the only casualty the Wednesday afternoon of 15th July. Another Nigerian, Chigozie Asukwa, was also badly injured as a result of the raid. Chigozie had hit his head on an iron bar, while scampering through a narrow exit. Unlike other past raids, the Nigerian community in the small town of Guangzhou would rather not sweep the horrific incident under the carpet. About 2.45pm same day, they gathered in their hundreds and engaged the local police in a free-for-all. More Nigerians were injured. Chanting the song, “oh my home, oh my home, when shall I see my home…” the Nigerian protesters barricaded a major road in the city. The protest, which caused serious tension was said to have lasted for about four hours before the Chinese Police, after a re-enforcement, over powered the Protesters. A detailed video footage of the incident was compiled by Foundation for Nigerian Ethics (FINE), an international media organization based in Abuja, and exclusively made available to Daily Sun in Abuja. Narrating how the incident occurred, Okere who by now was recuperating in a nearby hospital told FINE that, “a friend had called me from Lagos for memory cards. So, I was to go and change the $3,000 he sent to me at the market when the policemen came and rounded me up. The white guy who had my money started running. So, I couldn’t stand to lose two things, my money and then go to jail because my paper is already expired. So I broke the glass and jumped down.” Another Nigerian Emeka Amobi, 26, had broken his hands in a similar experience on the 3rd of July. Amobi out of fear of being apprehended by the Chinese Immigration Police had jumped down from a 25feet height in a train station in Beijin. The country Director of FINE, Mr. Titus Ezeugo, who witnessed the Guangzhou riot and who has been on media surveillance on Africans in Asia and Europe for over half a decade, gave an insight into why illegal Nigerian immigrants would rather prefer to jump from any height than be arrested. “It’s important to clearly state that more than half of Nigerians in china are illegal immigrants. The Chinese law is clear on its immigration matters. For instance, citizens of Nigeria, depending on your kind of visa, are not allowed to stay more than two weeks for a business or work visit. “A minute after two weeks of stay, you would be surcharged 500rmb (about N14, 000). After that, everyday you stay with an expired visa, you are made to pay 500rmb. So some of them are indebted to the tune of 5000rmb, which is the hallmark. If apprehended you would be in an underground cell till you pay your demurrage fee, purchase a return ticket and TC. So where would the person get such money? ” He said the Chinese authority should not be blamed adding, “Nigerian government must be ready to cater for her people whether they live in Nigeria or not. The Chinese immigration law has trapped many Nigerians who were deceived into travelling to China for greener pasture.” Ezeugu who averred that the condition of Nigerians in China was precarious and most embarrassing added that many were languishing in penury. He, therefore, charged Nigerian government to spend money on qualitative enlightenment campaign that would redirect the minds of her youths away from what he says is the illusion of going for a greener pasture in China. “We cannot say because they violated the law, then we would watch them rot away in China. Take recent case of Americans in South Korea. You see that, Clinton, a former President, had to fly to South Korea because of the matter. This is what FINE has been doing and we need the government to show some interest in this” Ironically, the media practitioner said that while the number of Nigerians travelling to China on a daily basis is still on the increase, majority there want to return home. Collin Chimobi, a Nigerian businessman based in China, told Daily Sun that more than half of Nigerians in China want to come back home. Meanwhile Daily Sun after frantic efforts to get comments from the Chinese Embassy in Abuja failed due to Embassy protocol, a questionnaire on the incident was posted to the embassy’s official website on Monday, but Daily Sun is yet to get a reply. However the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, told Daily Sun that the ministry was fully aware of the incident and has already directed the Nigerian Mission in China to begin discussions with the Chinese authorities on the modalities of getting out of the situation. The Minister who spoke on the matter through his Director of Communications, Mr. Ayo Olukanmi, appealed to Nigerians in China to be patient as the process of visa issuance to anyone who wants to come back would soon begin. But the National Human Rights Commission said that it was fully abreast of the matter and has been following it with keen interest. The Director, Public Affairs and Communications, Mr. Muhammad Nasir Ladan told Daily Sun that although the commission is handicapped on the matter as its mandate restricts it to matters within Nigeria, it has begun discussion with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Benilla. “We are working on the issue to reach a position before we come out with the next line of action. If there is human right violation as it is being alleged, then there are possible steps to take on the matter.”

•Cecilia Photo: The Sun Publishing

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Sacked Managing Director of Oceanic Bank Plc, Mrs Cecilia Ibru, may have moaned, groaned

and carried on like Marie Antoinette being carted off to the guillotine. Investigation has, however, revealed that lack of adherence to basic banking procedures and under-the-table deals earned her the not-so executive position presently as a guest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Sunday Sun findings revealed a list of Ibru’s many sins, which finally caught up with her when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor yanked the CEO’s seat from under her unceremoniously on August 14.

Many years ago, Mrs Ibru allegedly set up a financial institution called Fine Mortgage Home (FMH) Ltd. It was headed by her husband’s former Personal Assistant, Nanashetu Bedell. FMH Ltd was actually the precursor of Oceanic Bank Plc. When eventually the transformation took place, Nana Bedell, allegedly became a front of sorts for certain business transactions.

According to our source, “Mrs Bedell actually has many aliases as you can see on the list of debtors. Many of the transactions that landed Mrs Ibru in this trouble were done through her. Mrs Ibru knew and that was why her first reaction to her sack was to go underground. Her case is the messiest. When Mr Akingbola returns, Nigerians will also be shocked by the stench he left behind.”

A cursory glance at the CBN list of debtors showed that one Priscilla Bedell is one of the directors of LV Development Company Limited owing Oceanic Bank N2,727,256,000 and further down that same list is Nanashetu Abdulai, whose company, Circular Global International Ltd, owes N12,884748,000. Both loans are non-performing according to the nation’s apex bank.

“Nanashetu Abdulai and Priscilla Bedell are the same person and that is about N16 billion in her hands alone. She is known by many names,” Sunday Sun learnt from the EFCC.
Mrs Ibru is also said to have granted approval for loans way beyond her limits.
“As CEO of Oceanic Bank, Ibru’s approval limit was N1 billion. But she single-handedly approved loans of N3 billion and above without recourse to the bank’s board. She also moved £1.7 billion to the United Kingdom in one fell swoop. The amount was then spread into other foreign accounts. All the documents she sent to the CBN and other regulating agencies were cooked. In fact, I can tell you that the woman left the bank in a very bad shape and her case is the messiest,” our source further disclosed.

EFCC sources said the commission has put in motion mechanism to repatriate the funds the sacked CEOs and their directors have moved abroad. One of the major reasons the EFCC is involved in the CEOs’ scam is the money laundering angle and dirty financial deals behind the banking halls.

Behind EFCC bars, the Oceanic Bank boss, Sunday Sun gathered, is in low spirits.
“She just finished taking akamu (pap) now,” disclosed our source when we called. “She is not happy and that is to be expected. She keeps telling everybody to appeal to Madam (Farida Waziri) to review the bail conditions. She seems to have suddenly lost weight. She even looks darker in complexion. Your heart will go out to her if you see her. It is a pity things have come to this but we have a job to do. Someone has to do what we are doing otherwise there will be no Nigeria to leave to our children.”

Meanwhile, the EFCC chairman has come under tremendous pressure over the stiff bail condition the commission has placed on the detained sacked CEOs in its custody.
A Lagos High Court had on Tuesday granted an order that the two former Managing Directors of Afribank Plc and Finbank Plc, Sebastine Adigwe and Okey Nwosu be released on bail.

The commission had promptly responded by slamming N1 billion bail bond on each of the troubled ex-CEOs. The two sureties they are expected to produce must be serving ministers with landed property on Victoria Island in Lagos, Maitama or Asokoro in Abuja. The properties, EFCC insisted, must be verifiable on the asset declaration forms of the ministers.

As at press time, the bail conditions were yet to be met.
Mrs Ibru was declared wanted last Sunday but surfaced on Wednesday at the offices of the anti-graft commission and has since been detained at its detention centre in Okotie Eboh Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.