This archive report was first published on 7 September 2019.
On September 7, 2019, Nigeria's federal government warned against reprisals against South African businesses following xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
However, hundreds of Nigerian youths took to the streets in Lagos, Abuja, Uyo, and Ibadan to attack the offices of telecom giant MTN and Shoprite, a South African retail chain.
Before the deployment of security, the Shoprite supermarket in Lekki, Lagos was hit by hoodlums who wanted to loot, but were stopped by the police.
Police spokesman in Lagos, Bala Elkana, said they had to send reinforcements to prevent a mob from destroying the Shoprite facility.
"I can tell you that those youths were not protesters. They were out to burn down shopping malls and cause problems. The police had to quickly move in to prevent that," he said.
Nigeria's Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed, urged Nigerians to stop attacking South African businesses, saying it was akin to cutting off one's nose to spite the face.
"Majority of the workers in the South African companies operating in Nigeria were Nigerian, meaning they would be the hardest hit if the companies were forced to shut down," Mr Mohammed added.
Nigeria's Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, said the government would take all necessary action to protect its citizens worldwide and was in consultation with the South African government to end the violence.
