As the cloud of xenophobia that pervaded the Nigeria atmosphere last week begins to clear off, stock is also being taken to determine the extent of damage done by reprisal attack engendered by the Xenophobic attack in South africa.
A motley crowd of aggrieved Nigerians last week carried out a retaliatory attack on companies believed to be owned by South Africa citizens which led to the damaging of properties and looting of shopping malls.
MTN and Shoprite were the major targets of the marauding attackers, which in a preemptive move of an imminent attack on their facilities and stores led to the companys’ closure of some of their outlets in some parts of the country.
In light of these happenings, Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has disclosed that over 5000 people have lost their jobs in Lagos to the reprisal attack.
Sanwo-Olu made the disclosure when he visited the shopping malls attacked in Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu noted that Nigerians were the most affected because the businesses attacked in Lagos had Nigerians as employees.
Sanwo-Olu who condemned the attack and advised against its repetition, said the
Xenophobic attack occurred in South Africa, the jobs that were affected in the process were Nigerian-connected and not otherwise.
Matters came to a head between Nigerians and South Africans when a Nigerian was reportedly killed by some South African Police officers in his home and when businesses, as well as other properties belonging to Nigerians in South Africa, were burnt.
LagosTimes reported the protest organised against Xenophobic attack on Nigerians in South Africa.
Sanwo-Olu said jobs were affected in the reprisal attack that happened some days ago, and according to him, “In both malls, over 5,000 people are out of jobs. These are jobs where Nigerians are the ones that have been affected.
“So, we need to be able to take the lessons out of this, be stronger together and be able to take corrective measures to ensure that things like these should certainly not repeat itself in our community.”
He added that, “We have seen the amount of enormous destruction in both plazas and the first thing is to condemn in strong terms whatever could have led to this. It is an extensive destruction of people’s property.
“As a government, we have come out to condemn this and to assure the business community that ease of doing business is paramount to us and security of lives and property is part of the to-do list for us.
“We are charging our security operatives to stop at nothing, to ensure that they keep all of these facilities safe and secure,” Governor Sanwo-Olu said in a statement .