Two Chinese arrested for allegedly offering $250,000 bribe

Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), has arrested two Chinese nationals for allegedly offering a $250,000 bribe in local currency to one of its senior officials.

BBC reported that the two Chinese nationals, Meng Wei Kun and Xu Koi were arrested on Tuesday in their office in the northern city of Sokoto.

The duo are reported to have given money stashed in boxes to the officials who pretended to have accepted the bribe.

According to the commission, the alleged bribe was said to be an attempt to scuttle an investigation into a multi-million dollar corruption allegation, involving a Chinese construction company in Nigeria where the two suspects work.

The commission said it was investigating the alleged corruption case. The contract for roads and water project is estimated to be about $130 million.

It added that it is also investigating money-laundering allegations.

The contract was awarded by Nigeria’s Zamfara state government to China Zhonghoa Nigeria Limited between 2012 and 2019.