Police repatriate Chinese fugitive wanted over rosewood smuggling

The Nigeria Police Force repatriated Zhang Shijie, a Chinese national, to Guangzhou after his arrest in Nigeria for smuggling African rosewood. Zhang was wanted by Chinese authorities since an arrest warrant was issued on January 7, 2021, for allegedly smuggling about 1,400 tonnes of Pterocarpus erinaceus, an endangered tree species. He was arrested on September 10, 2026, in Ogun State and was sent back to China on September 16, 2026.