Xenophobia Reprisal: Police Intervention Stalls Students’ Plan to Shut Down MTN, Shoprite in Anambra

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Wednesday, July 24th, 2019

From Ignatius Okpara, Awka

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Quick intervention by the Anambra state Commissioner of police (CP) John Abang has prevented members of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) to shut down the office of the mobile telecommunication giant, MTN in Awka .

African Examiner gathered that students had planned to revenge the killing of Nigerians in South African by shutting down both the MTN and Shoprite in the commercial city of Onitsha.

They were said to have started converging at the Amaenyi office of MTN in the heart of Awka, the Anambra state capital, as early as 8am before their leaders received a summon from the Anambra police boss.

Spokesman for the group, Mr. Anthony Ojiaku told newsmen that its leadership had been summoned by the police commissioner, “so for now we are shelving the protest until after the meeting.”

The CP who spoke to newsmen said he heard of the plan and quickly intervened to forestall breakdown of law and order.

According to him, “I have a mandate to protect lives and property in Anambra, and what I did was to summon the leaders of the association to a meeting. They are young and can be violent, but I sat them down and spoke to them like a father.

“I told them the office they were going to attack does not have South Africans inside, but their own brothers and sisters.

“I also told them the implication of what they were about to do, and without deploying force, we were able to make them change their mind.” Abang said.