Some Nigerians are stranded in China, and that is unacceptable! But without prejudging the circumstances and what the Nigerian Embassy and Diplomats could have done to eliminate, mitigate or ameliorate the conditions as reported, it must be stated here and now that no Nigerian deserves to feel alone, neglected or abandoned, wherever such Nigerian may reside!
Some of these Nigerians allegedly committed some visa or immigrations infractions in China, and as a result, these Nigerians are said to have been detained for extended periods of time, without trial or contact with the outside world, as they are denied visits and legal defense. The stranded Nigerians assert that the Nigerian Embassy and diplomats have not intervened on their behalf and that, surely, is not a good thing!
It is in actuality irrelevant whether such Nigerians are model citizens or not. A Nigerian is entitled to due process and the benefits of the rule of law, regardless of whether such Nigerian is in Nigeria, America, Europe or China in Asia; below is an e-mail forwarded to me by Mallam Habu Fika Dauda, the Publisher/Webmaster of www.amanonline.com as he sought to bring the plight of these Nigerians in China to light, in effort to push the hands of those whose responsibility it must be to resolve the seeming endless tales of woe that has befallen these Nigerians, as contained in their self-explanatory e-mail below.
Here now are the contents of the Save Our Souls e-mail as forwarded, UNEDITED:
Sir, I hereby submit to you the letter that we sent to the NIGERIA EMBASSY in China.This is as a result of constant embarrasements we have encountered as a result of visa prohibition. The EMBASSY has so far acted as a “tootless bulldog” on this issue.It seems that they don”t want to do anything about it. They watch and see their citizens harrassed and assaulted.
It is getting too much!!!
This is the letter. Please take time and read the letter. The lives of Nigerians in China is generally threathened by visa prohibition by the Chinese government nigerians in jilin province of china 22 september 2005 . the ambassador,
nigeria embassy, beijing , china sir,
please come to our rescue
i wish you a good day. i humbly want to inform you about the detention of 3 nigerians in this province capital called changchun ,in the north eastern part of china. they are detained because of minor immigration related cases which is as follows: the first is one mr.nnogu ikechukwu micheal was detained since may 2005.
till date !..we have tried our best to reach out to him but this have failed.
nobody is allowed to see him.for over 4 months now,we have appealed to the nigeria embassy in beijing to intervene and see to his repatriation back to nigeria ,but nothing has happened.
this man is not a criminal.his only case is that he has an expired visa.
another most recent case is that of mr. nwosu innocent age 40years old.he was arrested on the 15th of september 2005 .
he opened a saloon with a chinese woman a day before this incident.he was arrested because he has no licence to do business and his visa is expired. his chinese counterpart is still at large and this is very suspicious because the woman assured him that once he can open a joint partnership his visa can be fixed and this will bring chances for other nigerians who are keen to have any kind of joint partnership in the city. we suspect that the woman set him up so that she can take over the business. the third nigerian is unknown to us and we suspect that he might have come in from another city.
since last week!!.the local chinese newspaper here has been reporting this incident on the front page on daily bases.. we feel very unsafe and ashamed to see our own brothers in jail. these nigerians are neither criminals, drug pushers nor dupes.
they are just hard working nigerians who are victims of visa prohibition of the chinese government on the nigerian passport. all of us here in the northern part of china working as full time or part time english teachers.
issues at stake
1 —- we appeal that the embass
y should determine the identity of the third nigerian in detention and a possible way of helping them back home.
2—–sir,we humbly beg you to use your power as our ambassador and our leader in china to intervene in these cases and see to the repatriation of these nigerians back to their loved ones in nigerian.
their cases are immigration cases which in chinese law calls for eventual repatriation to country of origin. it will be very disastrous and shameful to our country!1s intergrity if they are allowed to waste away or die in detention because they have no one to speak for them. how can we watch and see our brothers die for minor pardonable cases?
visa prohibition on nigerians
sir,with regards to the above,it will be attributed that the problems facing nigerians in china today is because of the visa prohibition on nigerians. a lot of rumours have circulated on this issue. even,the embassy have not given us a clear reason why our visas are not extended like others.
last year,we were at the nigeria embassy and discussed this with mr usman,the consular.he did not give us a good clarification.. he only told us that the chinese government has denied that there is a visa prohibition on nigerians. he said that it is not official.
well!..every nigerian knows that there is a visa restriction on the nigeria passport.
the chinese knows and other foreigners knows too .it is very shameful.. and disgraceful.
there was a rumour that it is because we recognised taiwan ,but one wonders why taiwan !1s main ally,the usa is not given the same treatment.
also….there was another rumour that it is is because of the crimes committed by some nigerians here but it is clear that this is not so because nigerians are not the only ones commiting crimes in china.
most sophiscated crimes here are commited by citizens from the western countries.
there is a rumour which seems to be that the restriction is because nigeria is classified as one of the !0terrorist!1 countries.this is the only”rumour” that sounds real. the rumour has it that the 6 countries blacklisted by the chinese government are as follows : nigeria,pakistan,iraq,iran,sri lanka and turkey.
one wonders why nigeria is should be among the list of these countries known for terrorist attacks and suicide bombings.
we are not known for these !!!!!
today,many nigerians in china are scared to death of being recognised as being from niriliyaa [ nigeria ].
many prefer to claim other nationalities other than nigeria . the most common is usa , south africa , jamaica , ghana and bahamas .
when we came here 3 years ago,i was very proud of my nationality,but today i take deep breath before i can introduce myself as a nigerian. sir,please! we humbly beg and cry unto you to look into these problems that are facing us in this country.
we are aware that china is presently being awarded contracts that runs into billions of dollars in nigeria ,like the telecomunication,oil and satellite contracts.
there are thousands of chinese living and doing business in nigeria .
they are not facing discrimination.the number of chinese in nigeria surpass the number of nigerians in china by ratio 10 to 1. if they are gaining much in nigeria why can!1t our government demand them to respect us in their country and extend our visas !!
today,all over china,many nigerians are detained and wasting away because of expired visas and hundreds of others are also living in fear and in the danger of being detained because of the same i
ssue.
china is a very good country and the people are nice.i believe that our visa restriction is something that our country can resolve with them diplomaticaly.
may god bless you as you try your best to do your job !!!
long live the federal republic of nigeria !!!
yours faithfully,
osita chiagorom [ositac@yahoo.com],
and richard offo [richard_offo@yahoo.com]
36 comments
what atrocities are they committing here, you got married in a chinese lady from a wealthy family, you married her because of her family background. Are chinese not committing same all over the world, the last drug haulage in nigeria, who brought it in.Let me tell you young man, in any country there are good and bad people, we have bad people from nigeria, so do chinese, alot of chinese lives in nigeria with expired visa, is anybody harrasing them? Lots of chinese are into retail business in nigeria, are they suppose to be doing that? I think they are afraid of competition, they can compete with us,thats why they are scare, crime comitted by other african countries are attributed to nigerian. What they really want is to chase us away from china so that they will come to nigeria and run their businesses there. Read history youngman, haven had opportunity to school in china and married into wealth does not make you a bright person, you can't stan me in anything as far as academics is concern, rest with your noise making bros
Its people like u from Ghana who used Nigeria passport to travel to europe and apply for asylum when hunger was killing you people in the 1980″s and 90″s. It was Ghana who destroyed Nigeria passport.But now.look at the useless words from your mouth. Have u forgotten the history of your country? Most of you are just envious of Nigerians…..thats all
Its people like u from Ghana who used Nigeria passport to travel to europe and apply for asylum when hunger was killing you people in the 1980″s and 90″s.
It was Ghana who destroyed Nigeria passport.But now.look at the useless words from your mouth.
Have u forgotten the history of your country?
Most of you are just envious of Nigerians…..thats all !
It is a terrible situation and I do agree with you, some people are stuck in China and they have their own individual reasons how it has occurred. But I agree with Ambassador on this one, there are many Africans including Nigerians in China who are doing very well.
They work hard and try to make a good thing out of what they have. How is it that some people can and others can’t? Some Africans choose to live in China doing horrible things and only care about their visa issues when it’s already too late.
Am a Nigerian I don’t care about the comment being made by Nigerians and Chinese, i have been schooling here in China for 4 years and now i have a very good job my salary is excellence, now am in love with a very beautiful Chinese lady from a wealthy family. you see if you really look into this matter you will discover the truth in it. why won’t the Ambassador ignore Nigerians here, do you know the atrocities Nigerians have committed here? can you be bold enough to tell a chinese person that you are a chinese, its not easy before you made plans to travel, ask your self, what is my main aspect of going to china, is it for pleasure or business or job? it is not just wake up and say i am traveling to china because you have a little money. China is not a place for pleasure or nuisance, it is a place for hard working people so as to achieve your aim in future. Chinese people like good and honest people if i was a bad person how would i have gotten a good job and a beautiful lady? please lets embrace peace and do what is right. let stop bringing shame and embarrassment to our dear Country
This is a total disgrace to the nation. Nigerians are known as worst people all over the world, when will this come to an end?
In as much as there are many comments against the Nigerian and Chinese governments, Remember that governments are made up of people? Then ask yourself certain questions:
Are you eligible to live abroad (or in China)? did you learn anything about China before deciding to go and live there? Or was it just: “them talk say money dey china”? do you speak any chinese? Have you been able to live among Chinese and other foreigners in China or you just squeeze in with other Nigerians? What positive impressions are you creating on your own country apart from wait for your government to rescue you from the mess you got yourself into out of sheer ignorance? If you fall flaw to any of these then you’re just as incompetent a resident of China as your representative embassy in China.
I’ve been to china 3 times and never overstayed. It’s not because I’m richer than those who overstay, but it’s because I embed in my plans a strict means not break the Chinese laws and policies. This is my way to respect the country where I live in.. and by doing so, they have no reason not to pay back the respect. I live near a police station and pass-by policemen every week but I’ve never been stopped by policemen for any reason.
I work in Beijing as a software project manager (a job that even Europeans find hard to get in Beijing)… 4 months after I joined the company, my Chinese boss searched and engaged another Nigerian to work with us – My boss specifically chose nothing else but another Nigerian to work with us… I never knew about this till the guy was employed. I still don’t clearly have the answer to that but whatever pushed him to do so is not something bad… I’m not claiming to live on a bed of roses in China, there are cons too…
I once gave my passport to agents to complete my visa process because I had to work on weekdays, I didn’t mind paying the double amount as compared to what Europeans pay (“because of the African passport”)… but they still came back to me after 2 weeks and said: “Sorry, we cannot complete the process because you’re a Nigerian”. I didn’t say a word… but rather took back my passport, went to the immigration office by myself with all my documents, smiled to the officers, they smiled back, we spoke Chinese, very friendly people. I got my first stage done there, same day – this stage usually takes 2 weeks according to agents.
Governments are made up of people of whom you can approach nicely, talk to, and change whatever negative perception they had about your countrymen instantly”. That’s what I’ve been doing in Beijing to whatever scope I can… Remember the 3 elements in creating understanding with another people:
1. Impression: how do you present yourself? How do you approach Chinese? Nice and softly or with that hard cracked voice tone? how are you dressed?
2. Communication: Do you speak Chinese? Even if you don’t, how do you speak English? With that hard Nigerian accent and blaming Chinese people for not understanding? Or do you put yourself in their shoes, count your words and make them comfortable with your English?
3. Consistency: The little good they know about you today, can you keep it on till tomorrow? Will something not happen to give you an excuse to complain about something and scare them away from you?
Chinese are very nice, soft and most times scared people who avoid confrontations. My advice to you Nigerians… be presentable, be calm, be tolerant to others attitude towards you (even if it’s racial prejudice)… Remember there is no racist-free country in the world (apart from African countries). There is a common truth that prevails: “people tend to fear what they don’t understand”. If you do not have the potentials enough to positively relate your culture with the Chinese culture, create that required understanding to an extent that it brings a smile to peoples’ faces, then China is not the country for you.
Good Luck
This is a terrible situation, i also have a friend who was recently detained and now waiting for his exit visa, his fine has been paid which was an outrageous amount but GOD only knows when he will be released. he ia a good christian man did nothing illegal yet the chinese are sure making them suffer.
I think the facts and truths behind this issued of cutting Nigeria visa off by chinese government is because Dail lama the Tibetian spiritual claims by chinese government as seperalist was visited Lagos! and was accepted by Nigerian government cause all this problems of diplomatics issued!……
Chinese government always againts any country accepts him to visit thier country! last time Dail lama wants to visit South Africa, they reject his visa application and Chinese government is happy about thier action!.
I’m yet to understand the intrigue in China-Nigeria diplomacy. The writers of the letters/articles had put the matter lightly. I wonder what a country does when her citizens are between the devil and the deep blue sea….That sounds like an idiom. What if the citizens are drowning in the deep blue sea and the country’s master raft is just drifting around the drowning without offering help? What a pity Nigerians! If you weep gently gently, who will hear? And if you cry with your loud plaintive throat, who will listen? I have made myself an ambassador (without diplomatic immunity)in china, but who can i “fight” and how many can i save? I only wish that the President of Nigeria will say but a word, a phrase… and all the nigerians who have been rendered homeless by over zealous local police heads in China can hive a sigh of relief. Know and Know that more than a hundred nigerians sleep on the streets as we talk now. The landlords capitalize on the situations to defraud nigerians. Landlords take rents and deposits from nigerians and after 3-4days, the police would chase them (nigerians) away…. Rents and deposits are not returned. I’m begining to imagine what a chronicle it would be to catalogue the plight of Nigerians today, in Guangzhou/Nanhai/Foshan to mention but a few cities. Let the President of Nigeria tell me he cares. I’m waiting to see what he does about this plague. Now! Now, is the time for diplomacy. Please direct every questions to my email address. HELP SAVE NIGERIANS IN GUANGZHOU CHINA!!!
I am a Nigerian living in the U.S and i a here on business in China. I am certain that Nigerians have somehow been blacklisted concerning issuance or renewal of visas. I got to the immigration desk at the airport and immediately got surrounded by two immigration officer. Going over my passport over and over again. I had to give my green card to them. They took my docs in to some room, came back and told me all was well. That to me was seriously odd.
Chinese Goverment must relaize that their own citizens is being treated fairly with respect in Nigeria and, so must they do in return to other nationals living in their land mostly Nigerians. I blame Chinese Goverment for not being fair to Nigerians but I blame our Goverment mostly for not doing enough in protecting their own citizens living outside. Tell me what Nation`s Embassy represents in a forign land? Simply answer, the intrest of his country and it`s citizen. What our embassy really doing?? Can someone tell me what on earth they`re doing. It`s better not to have an embassy that nver care for it`s citizen.
So that Nigerians overseas will know it from day one that they have noone to come to their rescue if anything happens. Am not encouraging crime but crimes has been comitted by other nationals aswell but still, they get fair gudgement.
well is unfair, to chinese goverment, but we nigerians should understand that we are in another mans country, u should always try and respect our selfs, so that the chinese people will respect us, for the embassy, nigeria dont have embassy in china, take it or u leave it, those people there in the embassy? i dont really know what i will call them? but may God help them, again this useless set of fools that called there selfs (OLD BOYS) is another big problem we having here in china, but one day God will knock them down, if they feel they are OK in china , they should please go back home, and stop been a proeblem to the new once,
Nigerians in china are really going through hell when it comes to the issue of visa expiration and needed to be extended ,But the nigerian ambassador(s) do little or nothing about it or even listen to the cry of nigerians here even after visiting the embassy to notify him of the incident.This should be a shame on the concerned Officerss and their Boss been the country representatives in china abd at home(Nigeria). Chinese government herself should also do something about it if they really appreciate and accept to maintain an international relationship with Nigeria as a country. They should also appreciate the fact that Nigerians are doing business with them in all ramification and not always put the bad influence in frontline forgeting the good ones.
Do extend Nigerian Visas atleast for old time sake and the billions of contract awarded to China and chinese people by Nigeria and Nigerian people.
I took pains to read all the articles caption "Nigerians Stranded in China". I have no doubt that Nigerians are truly stranded. 9=(Infact, the more the Nigerians are stranded, the more juicy contract are awarded to the Chinese people here in Nigeria). I was opportuned to browse the internet only a week ago and coincidentially stumbled into the "Observer", which accorded me the previlage of reading this article. Yes there are many Chinese here in Nigeria whose visas had expired twenty (20) years ago but not troubled by the Nigerian Government. They live as lord and bost on how good they are in electronics. It is obvious that the Igbo of Nigeria whose main trade is in electronics travelled to China for their livelihood, but instead, met the hangman's rope. There was a film I watch (title forgotten) but the actor was Richard Gere, an American who was illtreated by highly placed Chinese Authorities, when his business proposal was usurped by the Authorities. They went as far as sacrificing the daughter of a high ranking general in the Chinese army (just for their own selfish intentions). Yes anything can happen in China expecially with the Nigerian, and more expecially if that Nigerian is an Igboman. Afterall it is a Hausa man that is the embassador. What can he do to assist is long-time enemy? I am sure if the Nigerian Government had treated the Chinese people in Nigeria the same way, the diplomatic link would have been be cut off by now. Comments offered by No.17 to 21 are trashes that should be kept in the dust bin. I do not blame them, afteral there is freedom of expression, hence some cannot coherently express themselves such as the Ghanian. Well if one refuses to say the truth, one day, it will bust open, either through your stomach or your head or your anus or your eyeball. That is one thing I also learnt from that film acted by Richard Gere. Thank you.
it is very true that this things happen and sad too.something should be done to make things better for Nigerian.
i am ghanian becourse of the nigerians chinese law get more strict of all africans here is always the nigerians do bad things in allmost every part of the world .do not blame ,,,,,,
I these case,from what i read.i think we mark a date and pray about it.in isreal in those days it happens,and as the isrealite of the new generation.is to fast and pray so more will not happen,and for the victims we remember them also,in malaysia we pray for them.hey.inno.
Want to meet Nigerians in Beijing? Try a walk in the Sanlitun district where within minutes you will approached by Nigerians selling drugs. I have no problem whatsoever if such people are being detained by the authorities. Visa violations are very common with African "students" overstaying their visa. To bad for the folks that come here for genuine reasons but expect to be detained if you allow your visa to expire. It is truly sad for those that come to China and work and study here legally to be dealing with discrimination caused by badly behaving countrymen and the only thing that can help ease the situation is a tough policy and execution of the laws by the Chinese authorities to filter out the bad from the good.
Hi fellow nigerians, it's so sad to open the pages of the dialy and see a nigerian in the front page as a scandal, nigeria is the america of africa, we are talented, i have been living in china for over 12 years,i have not for one day broken the law, many of us claim that we do not have the visa status, the mistake is from you, before you go to a country you need to do your home work well, anyway, if you have fallen victim of visa, here's my advice, go to the nigerian embassy in beijing and collect a t.c. and go back home, or surrender your self to the psb and tell them you have no money of visa, so you want to go back, stop hanging around with expired visas it worsen the matter.my bro. It's hard i know but try as much to help your self first, i can't help the male because of the racial acts here which i know you are aware, but for the females who are nigerians, here send me a mail on(royedulanguage@yahoo.com) i will see what i can do, like place you in some jobs, like teaching, nursing and hotel.
i think the nigerian embassy in china is not doing anything towards the uplifting of nigerian damages image in china. To be a diplomat you should have certain qualities,and the interest of the people you re representing should be your priority.but all this i think incumbent representive in china are lacking.the are here living life as the like.Nigerian government should change all of them and place those with the interest of the nation and not personal motives.
Thanks be to God i found this website online, to air my views about what Nigerians are facing in China.Have you heard about a Nigerian that died hanging from a 5th floor of an high rise building in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China? His death was cause as a result of the constant harrassment of the Chinese police from black foreigner to show their their identity as a foreigner in China.
My husband and I are having great difficulty on getting him here to CHina to live with me. He is a Nigerian and I am an Australian here on a 2 year contract teaching in a very good international school in Shanghai. He is in Vietnam and has been knocked back a visa at least 3 times. We are now legally married (unlike before when we applied for visas) so will have a wedding certificate…but i am getting scared that perhaps this wont help! Can the CHinese government continue to refuse us being together! I fully understand the problems innoceent Nigerians are facing. There is a growing stereotypoing of people and this is conpounded with ingrained racist attitudes of modern society. It is very sad and it must stop!
i pray god should help the nigerians jailed in china . and also advice our govement to do something about this issue.
what we see in china her by there goverment is too much. and the main problem is that we have no embassy in china if am to say the truth. please nigerian goverment should help us tell the goverment of the peoples reporblic of china to extend our visa like other country. because the use to extend others but avoid nigeria. why why is my questons every day. what has nigerians do to this world.we dont have any embassy in china. let nigeria send their embassy to china like others we dont have any as of now thanks.
yobe emanuel
in china
Thank you for your article. The situation is terrible and more people need to know about this. I am writing to ask for your help. I have a friend in the exact situation you described. He was unable to get his visa extended so he was taken to jail on Friday and immigration will not allow anyone to see him and the only answer they'll give me when I ask how long he'll be detained for is "at least several months." The embassy is unwilling to help. What can I do for him He did nothing and now he's in a Chinese jail. Please give me whatever advice you can.
-Caitlin (CHopping@gmail.com)
I feel sorry for the unfortunate nigerians detained in China,but i've got to wander what in the world are they doing in China in the first place.China is one of the most oppressive state in the world yet those nigerians chose to reside there
This world should be more harmonic, these men really need help. Black men is also clever and wisdom, I think that you can do better.
Here we go again!! This is to tell everyone that Nigeria cannot run it's own affairs with dignity. How can your citizens be in a shambo like this who's this ambassador any way why ain't we helping one another….cant we do something like this to the chines well i don't blame the chines. I blame the Nigerian goverment. If Nigeria was stable all this will not happen. Thank God i wasn't born in Nigeria. God bless America. This will never happen.
Nigerians are experiencing a rather unfortunate situtaion in china but the roots and fact still remains that we have bunch of corrupted and unqualified consulars posing themselves as PATRIOTS. we hope this matter get a better uprising that will get nigerians in china out of these visa restriction NIGHTMARE.
Nigerians in china are really going through hell here when it comes to the issue of visa expirationand needed to be extended and the nigerian ambassador here do nothing over it or even listen to the cry of nigerians here even after visiting the embassy to notify him of the incident.This should be a shame on him been the country representatives here in china
because it's truth talk
humanly questions that needs immediate respond when you have consular officers who are less qualified to play in the international arena. thank god for america this will never happen.
Kester-
Long time. Hope you doing great. The last time I saw you was in 1981 in Okene. Regards
Naijaman
The truth is far fetch.
Kester Ehinome Okodede
Visa restriction on Nigerians is a fact. According to the memo at a local Labor Dept. Nigerians are classified as "unwelcomed" to work or reside in China together with five other countries.