By Kolawole Ojebisi
The ministry of interior has exonerated a Chinese firm of any involvement in the killing of an officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
Babatunde Alao, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the decision was taken after further investigations into the matter which revealed fresh findings.
This is contained in a statement issued on Saturday by Alao
“Following the report of the alleged shooting of an officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service in Niger State, further investigations have revealed that the officer was hit by a stray bullet that was neither shot on the order of the Chinese company nor its employee,” the statement reads.
“A full-fledged investigation has been launched into the shooting of the personnel in collaboration with other security agencies. This is to unravel the detailed circumstances surrounding the shooting while giving assurance that anyone found culpable will be brought to book.
“The Minister reaffirms his strong commitment to ensuring the safety, dignity, and professional integrity of all law enforcement officers.” the statement added.
The ministry emphasised that the government will continue to support law-abiding local and foreign businesses.
Recall that Tunji-Ojo had accused a Chinese firm of spearheading the shooting and vowed tough action.
However, in a statement on Friday, Cui Guangzhen, director general of the Chinese commerce chamber in Nigeria, denied the involvement of any Chinese citizen or firm in the incident.
Instead, Guangzhen blamed it on a stray bullet from the Nigerian police while trying to arrest a suspect suspected of stealing iron rods from a Chinese company.
