South African businesses in Nigeria on Tuesday bore the brunt of the ongoing Xenophobic attacks of Nigerians in South African.
Angry youths in their hundreds in major cities such as Lagos, Uyo and Ibadan stormed Shoprite and MTN offices disrupting their activities and destroying facilities.
In Uyo, an MTN office had its glass doors and windows shattered, while attempts by protesters to burn down one of their offices in Lagos was foiled by security operatives.
Footage of South Africans killing blacks in most gruesome manners and burning their businesses had surfaced online provoking other Africans across the world.
The attack on South African businesses in the country followed tales by Nigerians in that country whose legitimate businesses were razed and their homes vandalised by the savages claiming to be after blacks committing crimes in their country.
The worrisome video of a young man set ablaze, being hit with planks and sniffed by a dog in the full glare of Police officers who could not hide their pleasure and support of the cruelty, as well as the justification of the barbaric acts by Deputy Police Chief Bongani Mkongi on grounds that foreigners hsve dominated the country further fuelled the angst of Nigerians who vowed to vent their anger on South African businesses.
In no time, groups converged at different locations and moved to MTN, Shoprite and other business interests of South Africa in Nigeria.
Businesses at Shoprite outlets in Osapa London, Lekki, Sangotedo in Ajah, Alausa, Ikeja were said to have been grounded as protesters specifically ordered all customers inside the outlets to vacate.
The Lekki agitation which commenced around 3:30pm was said to have turned violent after stray bullet from the police killed a young observer while trying to disperse the crowd.
The police were said to have shot sporadically following attempts by the mob to set Shoprite ablaze
According to sources, the protests started when a group of angry women, said to have relatives who fell victims to the attacks in South Africa entered the Lekki Shoprite and started calling groceries, toiletries.
In no time, youths converged and ordered everyone out of the outlet gathering tyres to raze the place.
According to a resident Semiu Ibrahim, over 17 police vehicles were seen at the place as the security agents shot sporadically and released teargas canisters.
He said the young man killed was an observer, adding that the killing occurred around 5pm.
โThose protesting wanted to burn down the place and the police started shooting. They threw teargas as well. The whole thing started around 3:30pm. They came and asked people in the mall to leave. They wanted to burn the place.
โThe police pleaded with them not to do it but they were not listening and the police started shooting. Bullet hit and killed a young man who was observing what was happening.
โThere were about 20 police vehicles there. The protesters were more than 100,โ he said.
But the police denied knowledge of death at the Lekki mall, insisting that the youths were riotous.
Spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said they had to send reinforcement to the place because the mob was out to burn the facility which โdoesnโt even belong to South Africans in the first place.โ
He said: โWe are still battling with this issue. I do not know for now if anyone was killed. But I can tell that those youths were not protesters. They were out to burn down the shopping mall and cause problem.
โThe police had to quickly move in to prevent that. They are riotous and we had to send in reinforcement. We are still here.โ
Osinbajo, Ramaphosa condemn attacks
Meanwhile, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also took to social media to condemn the cruel attacks in South Africa.
According to Osinbajo, the attacks on Nigerians and their businesses in South Africa were said and very unfortunate, recalling the countryโs huge investment to rescue that nation during its years of apartheid.
He said: โThe recent attacks in South Africa are condemnable. It is sad and very unfortunate that the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians living in South Africa, are once again being destroyed with such wantonness carelessness and recklessness.
Nigeria and Nigerians invested a great deal in the pulling down of apartheid.
โThese acts of bigotry are entirely contrary to the very ideals that all the great South African leaders including the present President fought for, and for which many gave their lives.
โMr. President (Muhammadu Buhari) has already spoken about this. We will take this up with the authorities in South Africa to ensure that this sort of thing does not repeat itself. It is absolutely unacceptable.
โWe will take all actions necessary for the protection of our citizens everywhere in the world. We are currently in consultation with the South African government on the urgent need to put in place measures to end these acts of violence against our people.โ
Condemning the attacks on his official Twitter handle, Ramaphosa said he was calling for a meeting with his security ministers to ensure they closely monitored โthese acts of wanton violence.
He said: โWe express our deep pain, support, solidarity and love to the families, friends and loved ones of all those who have lost their lives in the last month (Uyinene Mrwetyana, Leighandre Jegels, Nolunde Vunsindo, Meghan Cremer, Jesse Hess to mention but a few).
โI condemn the violence that has been spreading around a number of provinces in the strongest terms. I am convening the Ministers in the security cluster today to make sure we keep a close eye on these acts of wanton violence and find ways of stopping them.
โThe people of our country want to live in harmony; whatever concerns or grievances we may have, we need to handle them in a democratic way. There can be no justification for any South African to attack people from other countries.โ
