The Chinese Government has denied a report claiming militants stealing Nigerian mining resources were funded by its officials.
This was stated in a release by the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, noting strongly that it will never be involved in any form of terrorism financing.
Recall that a report by The Times of the United Kingdom claimed terrorism and terror groups in Nigeria were financed by the Chinese Government.
The report dated April 15, 2023 and titled, “Chinese ‘bribed Nigerian militants for access to vast mineral reserves” claimed that “Beijing could be indirectly funding terror” in Nigeria.
The Chinese Embassy, on the other hand, stated that the report was "based on unverified, unclear, and unproven information, to which we must express our strong dissatisfaction and objection."
The statement reads: “The Chinese government, as well as the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, have always encouraged and urged the Chinese companies and nationals in Nigeria to abide by the laws and regulations of Nigeria, and to implement the local rules and guidance on labor, environment, health and safety, etc, and would continue their efforts in this regard.
“The Chinese government was and would never be involved in any form of funding terrorism. The allegations contained in the report were totally irresponsible and unethical, and the intention of the report is seriously questioned.
“For the past decades, the bilateral cooperation between China and Nigeria has brought tangible benefits to our bilateral ties and well-beings of the two peoples. We will continue to work with the Nigerian government to promote development and address security issues.
“We welcome international partners to join our efforts in good faith, but would reject any intention or action that would smear our cooperation.”