Customs arraigns Chinese for unlawful exportation of wood …Nigeria, others loses $65bn

The Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) has dragged a Chinese, Zhu Jinxin, to  the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly attempting to export several logs of wood that was under prohibited list.

It was learnt that he brought the wood in a container to Tin-Can Port for export to China.

It was learnt that Nigeria and 10 other countries in West Africa have lost  $65.3billion to China on Illegal rosewood trade in the last one year.

Customs said he did so notwithstanding an export prohibition on the wood which was in force at the time.

The alleged offence, according to customs, was contrary to Section 64(1)(b) of the Customs and Excise Management Act, Cap C45 of Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Jinxin pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge. Justice Hadiza Shagari granted him bail for N10 million with two sureties and said that the full trial will commence in October, 2016.

It was learnt that Nigeria was mostly affected among the countries, followed by Guinea Bissau.

According to a record by Chinese Customs, Nigeria had become the single largest exporter of the wood to China by the end of 2015, accounting for 45 per cent of the total imports to China.

The record also revealed that by the end of 2015, 30 containers of 20 feet of rosewood were leaving Nigerian ports for China daily.

According to Chinese Customs, by 2014 the country had exported 18 folds of what it imported in 2013.

It explained that while 30,866m3 of logs were shipped from the country in 2013, some 242,203m3 of rosewood were ferried from the country in 2014.

The record revealed that rosewood imports into China had increased by 1,250 per cent since 2000.