31 August 2024

Chinese prisons are increasingly resembling Nigerian communities as the number of Nigerian inmates grows daily. Many of these prisoners are struggling with mental health issues due to grueling labor, torture, and other dehumanizing conditions. Former inmates claim that Nigerians often receive severe sentences because their consular representatives are indifferent, unlike diplomats from other countries who actively intervene for their citizens. INNOCENT DURU reports.

Papirose, a Nigerian businessman, arrived in China in January 2013 with high expectations. He chose China deliberately, given its reputation as the world’s leading manufacturer and exporter. He was confident he would soon be importing finished goods from China to Nigeria. However, his optimism quickly faded.

Papirose’s troubles began when the Chinese government introduced a requirement for foreign traders to obtain specific business permits, which were difficult to acquire. Consequently, he abandoned his business and took a job as a hypeman at a club, working from Wednesday to Sunday. This job helped him cover his rent and other expenses.

One day, security forces raided his home, claiming there had been a suspicious phone call made from there. Papirose argued that no such call had occurred and explained that the frequent visitors to his home were due to a recent birthday celebration. Despite finding no evidence against him, the authorities took him to a police station and then to a detention center.

At the detention center, Papirose was pressured to plead guilty, but he refused, insisting on understanding the charges against him. The authorities dismissed his concerns, accusing Africans in Guangzhou of drug dealing and fraud without providing evidence. The police were imperious, operating with unchecked power and dismissing Papirose’s protests.

The police tried to frame him by presenting a Chinese woman and a Cameroonian detainee, neither of whom could connect him to any crime. The authorities insisted that since an African had committed fraud, other Africans must suffer for it. This cruel logic led to the Cameroonian’s death from mistreatment. Papirose was detained for nearly five years, during which he faced numerous legal obstacles and a lack of fair representation.

Papirose’s experience is emblematic of the plight faced by many Nigerians seeking better opportunities abroad. Onowu Chukwuemeka, a former inmate who spent 15 years in Dongguan Foreign Prison, reports that over 5,000 Nigerians endure severe suffering and injustice in Chinese prisons. The Patriotic Citizens Initiatives (PCI) estimates that up to 8,000 Nigerians are incarcerated in China.

Brown, another Nigerian businessman, travelled to China in 2015 with business aspirations. However, within two years, he was arrested, and his dreams were shattered. He explained that a friend living with him had prohibited items, leading to their joint arrest. Brown was convicted and imprisoned.

In prison, Brown faced numerous hardships. He filed for an appeal, which was denied, and spent two and a half years without contact with his family. The prison authorities restricted communication with the outside world, leaving his family in the dark until he managed to contact someone in China who helped them reach him. His family also faced exploitation from individuals promising to locate him.

“It was a very sad experience. I returned home with nothing. I lost everything,” lamented Mike, who went to China in 2009 hoping to expand his business but instead faced a series of misfortunes.

Mike recounted his ordeal: “I was arrested while visiting a friend’s apartment. After a superficial investigation, they claimed to have found something in the apartment. Since I was close to the apartment’s owner, they assumed I was involved and sentenced me to seven and a half years in prison.”

He described the harsh conditions in Chinese prisons: “Many Nigerians suffer greatly due to the prison conditions. The torture is psychological rather than physical. By the end of it, inmates often lose their ability to speak coherently, and those close to you can become unrecognizable.”

Both men expressed frustration with the legal process and the neglect of their consular representatives. Mike noted, “Throughout my seven years in prison, I only met our consulate once. Our people endure hellish conditions, and the indifference of our consulate allows the Chinese government to mistreat us without consequence.”

Papirose revealed the forced labor he endured: “The Chinese use prisoners for forced labor. Some locals told me that their economic growth depends on prison labor, with over 30 million prisoners providing free services. They produce everything from the basics to complex goods in secret facilities.”

He continued, “Inmates are given targets for production. If you fail to meet these targets—about 2700 or 2800 points—you can’t make phone calls or buy essentials. This pressure leads to severe depression and even death due to the harsh conditions.”

Brown, another former inmate, described the relentless work conditions: “We were forced to work nine hours a day, six days a week, with occasional work on Sundays. Non-compliance could result in confinement, electric shocks, or tear gas. Many inmates lose their sanity from such torture.”

Mr. Onowu Chukwuemeka, who spent 15 years in a Chinese prison, described the appalling conditions faced by Nigerian prisoners. He revealed that many Nigerians were wrongfully accused, with their court-appointed attorneys often compromised and working in favor of the Chinese government.

Onowu explained that inmates are subjected to grueling labor for various manufacturing companies and falsely promised sentence reductions if they meet their quotas. Even those who work tirelessly receive no leniency.

“Inmates who fail to meet their quotas face brutal beatings, starvation, and solitary confinement,” Onowu said. “The working conditions are dire, with no safety equipment provided. Many have died from inhaling toxic fumes, melted plastics, and other hazardous materials while making products like phone chargers, headphones, and lamps.”

He described the food as inadequate: “They receive meagre rations of half-cooked rice and vegetables, barely enough to sustain them.”