Nigeria police arrests Chinese fugitive hiding in Ogun factory over $245 million Ponzi scheme

• Nigerian police have arrested a Chinese fugitive linked to a $245 million Ponzi scheme.

• The suspect was found hiding inside a factory in Ogun State.

• Authorities say the arrest is part of broader efforts to track international financial crimes.

A Chinese national who fled to Nigeria to escape fraud charges back home has been arrested, handed over to Chinese authorities, and is now facing prosecution after spending months hiding inside a factory in Ogun State.

Xu Qing, wanted in China for allegedly running a large-scale Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of over $245 million, fled China on November 5, 2024 and made his way to Nigeria in what investigators believe was a deliberate attempt to evade arrest.

A warrant was subsequently issued against him on November 12, 2025 by the Shinan Sub-Bureau of Qingdao Public Security, triggering a formal request to Nigerian authorities through INTERPOL channels.

Working through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Abuja, Nigerian police operatives tracked Xu Qing to a factory in Olowotedo, Siun Village, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, where he had been living under the radar.

He was arrested on April 24, 2026, and repatriated to the People's Republic of China four days later on April 28.

The Nigeria Police Force announced the operation on May 6, framing it as a demonstration of its commitment to international law enforcement cooperation and a signal that Nigeria will not serve as a refuge for foreign fugitives.

Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu used the occasion to issue a broader warning to Nigerian employers and businesses, advising them to conduct background checks through the police before taking on foreign nationals in any employment or business capacity.

The advisory, while positioned as routine guidance, reflects a growing concern within law enforcement about the ease with which foreign nationals with criminal records can embed themselves within legitimate business structures across the country.

The case is the latest in a series of cross-border law enforcement operations coordinated through INTERPOL's network, in which Nigeria has moved increasingly to demonstrate its reliability as an international partner in tackling transnational crime.

It also raises questions about how long Xu Qing was able to operate undetected inside the country. More than a year passed between his arrival in November 2024 and his arrest in April 2026, a gap that the police statement does not directly address.

What the statement does make clear is that the operation was driven by Chinese authorities' formal extradition request, sustained surveillance by INTERPOL NCB Abuja, and bilateral cooperation arrangements that ultimately delivered the suspect back to face justice in his home country.

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