Xenophobia: M&G, Valuables Boutique, others raided inside Shoprite mall, Lagos

Valuable items were allegedly looted from M&G, Affordable Boutique and other shops inside Shoprite Mall in Surulere, Lagos State, on Tuesday night by some suspected social miscreants.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had initially reported that some youths had staged a protest around Surulere Shoprite Mall, MTN and Multichoice companies.

It was meant to condemn the recent and latest attacks on some Nigerians and their properties by some South Africans in their country.

NAN reports that these companies’ parent companies are owned by South Africans.

NAN could not ascertain the monetary value of items stolen during the raid by the suspected hoodlums as at the time of filing this report.

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It was reported that the youth had on Tuesday evening threatened to attack the Shoprite Mall, MTN and Multi -choices offices in the area but they were prevented by the police personnel from Surulere Police Station that was drafted there.

NAN had also reported that the management of some of the companies had closed early for the day when they received information that some hoodlums were planning to attack them.

The shop owners were not available to appeal to the miscreants while they were looting the shops.

A policeman who begged for anonymity told NAN that the looted shops belonged to Nigerians.

NAN, however, observed that the security personnel from the Surulere Police Division tried to quell the irate youths and maintain law and order but this later broke down hours later.

The angry mob capitalised on the handful of security personnel on the ground and broke into the mall to ultimately loot.

However, the security personnel called for reinforcement that dispersed the youth by spraying tear gas into the atmosphere.