Xenophobic Attack: Lagos Shoprite outlets remain shut

Several Shoprite outlets in Lagos remained shut Wednesday following a spate of attacks targeted at the South African store across the city on Tuesday.

Protesters had trooped to several Shoprite outlets across Lagos as a reprisal to the string of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa,

At least one person was shot in Lagos as protests erupted at the Lekki area.

The Lagos State Government condemned the attacks on South African businesses in the state.

There are, at least, seven Shoprite outlets in Lagos.

On Wednesday, there was a heavy police presence at Adeniran Ogunsanya in Surulere as several shops remained under lock and key following the looting by hoodlums of a South African clothing retailer, PEP, a day earlier.

One of the police officers told PREMIUM TIMES that the area had been calm since morning.

A security officer at the First Bank branch in the area told PREMIUM TIMES that the bank is not open due to the crisis in the neighbourhood on Tuesday.

“We’ve not been working since morning,” he said.

At the Ikeja City Mall, the Shoprite outlet there remained closed.

Outside the mall, there were about five police patrol vans and a police bus with at least 20 armed officers.

Two of four of the entrances to the compound were also sealed off leaving only the vehicular entry and exit to be used by pedestrians.

Security at the entrance to the mall building was also beefed up as shoppers were searched before they were allowed access. Access to the Shoprite corner in the mall was restricted as armed police officers stationed there stopped people from coming near the closed shop.

A shop attendant in the mall said protesters were unable to enter the building on Tuesday and the arrival of the police forced them to move to Government House.

“They were just chanting, that’s all. I think the Shoprite people got information about Lekki and decided to shutdown. Nothing major happened here yesterday,” he said.

Another attendant said there was no violent incident at the mall.

“They didn’t really do anything here yesterday,” he said.

“They just came, protested, police talked to them and they moved down to secretariat. They didn’t enter the mall, just the compound and it wasn’t violent at all.”