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The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has repatriated a Chinese national, Zhang Shijie, who was wanted in China over an alleged smuggling operation involving about 1,400 tonnes of endangered African rosewood.

Zhang, who had been wanted since 2021, was arrested by operatives of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, on September 10, 2026, in the Ogere area of Ogun State.

The police said the suspect was wanted by the Yangpu Sub-Bureau of the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of the Haikou Customs District in China in connection with the alleged smuggling of Pterocarpus erinaceus, commonly known as African rosewood.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, the Chinese authorities had issued an arrest warrant for Zhang on January 7, 2021.

The alleged offences, the police said, were committed between November 2020 and January 2021 and involved approximately 1,400 tonnes of the endangered tree species.

The consignment was valued at about 15.7 million Chinese yuan, according to the Chinese authorities cited by the police.

The Force said the arrest followed sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated investigative efforts by INTERPOL NCB Abuja.

“Following sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated investigative efforts, operatives of INTERPOL NCB Abuja arrested the fugitive on 10 September 2026 in the Ogere area of Ogun State,” the statement said.

The police disclosed that Zhang had remained outside China following the alleged offences and was subsequently traced to Nigeria, where he had been residing in Ogun State.

At the time of his arrest, the suspect was reportedly in possession of a Chinese passport which had expired on November 11, 2023.

Following the arrest and completion of necessary procedures, the NPF said Zhang was repatriated to Guangzhou, China, on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

The Force said the repatriation was carried out under existing bilateral police cooperation arrangements between Nigeria and China.

The development underscores the role of INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau in Nigeria in tracking and facilitating the return of foreign nationals wanted for alleged offences in their home countries.

It also highlights growing international cooperation in tackling the illegal exploitation and trafficking of endangered natural resources.

African rosewood, scientifically known as Pterocarpus erinaceus, is a valuable hardwood species that has faced intense exploitation and trafficking across West Africa.

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The death toll resulting from the consumption of a suspected poisonous alcoholic beverage outbreak in parts of Ondo State has risen to 49, while the number of affected persons has also increased to 170.

Providing an update on the situation in Akure, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, noted that the new cases were recorded in Irele Local Government Area.

He said health authorities were intensifying surveillance, case management and contact tracing to contain the outbreak and identify the source of the poisonous substance.

Ajaka added that medical teams had been deployed to the affected communities to monitor the situation, manage cases and trace the source of the suspected poisonous substance.

He said the state government was also working with security and regulatory agencies, including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other relevant agencies.

He disclosed that the matter was discussed at a national meeting involving commissioners for health across the country and officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, where Ondo State’s rapid response in surveillance, case management and tracking was commended.

Ajaka, in an earlier briefing, had disclosed that 29 people had died in connection with the suspected poisoning in Odigbo Local Government Area, with 121 persons affected at that stage.

According to him, the deaths in Odigbo were caused by locally produced alcoholic and alcoholic-herbal substances consumed during two naming ceremonies in the affected communities.

He noted that investigations showed that an individual who was not a member of one of the families hosting a naming ceremony procured the substance and brought it to the event for guests to consume.

The affected communities previously identified in Odigbo Local Government Area include New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Oniparaga.

To end the fatalities, the state government has banned the production and sale of locally brewed alcoholic and alcoholic-herbal beverages in Odigbo Local Government Area as a precautionary measure.

The police have also arrested a suspect in Araromi-Obu in connection with the production and distribution of the substances, while further investigation is ongoing.

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The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) community has been plunged into deep mourning following the tragic death of Oluwole Oluwaseun, a final-year student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

The incident, which occurred at an off-campus residence within the Damico Area, Ooni Layout, Ile-Ife, is currently under intense police investigation.

According to an official statement released by the University’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, the institution was alerted to an emergency involving the student at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

In a swift response, OAU’s Quick Response and Security (QRS) Team mobilized to the scene. They were immediately joined by officers from the Nigeria Police Force ‘A’ Division in Moore, Ile-Ife.

Oluwaseun was rushed to the University Health Centre, where he was tragically certified dead by a medical doctor on duty.

Deeply concerned by the circumstances surrounding the sudden demise, university authorities have handed over all recovered items and relevant information from the scene to the police to aid their investigation.

In the wake of the tragedy, Vice Chancellor Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire extended his heartfelt condolences to the family, classmates, and friends of the deceased. Professor Bamire strongly reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to student welfare, emphasizing that “no student should feel that he or she has to confront overwhelming difficulties alone.”

The university management has strictly urged the campus community to remain calm and refrain from spreading unverified rumors or speculations while the police investigation is ongoing.

Furthermore, student affairs authorities have been activated to provide necessary follow-up care, welfare, and emotional support to students affected by the tragedy. The university is strongly encouraging anyone experiencing severe emotional distress, financial pressures, or personal challenges to immediately seek help from trusted individuals or the official counseling structures on campus.