By Patrick Ahanor
Benin City
Hundreds of youths in Edo state yesterday picketed telecommunication giant, MTN office on Murtala Mohammed Way in Benin City over what they described as “retaliation of the ongoing xenophobic attack on Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa.”
The protesters; under the aegis of “The Flagship” stormed the South-African owned company at about 8.am and halted business activities for several hours.
The protesting youth whom decried the attacks on Nigerians living in that country and looting of their properties threatened to shut down South- African companies operating in Nigeria if President Jacob zuma fails to caution its citizens.
“South Africans can’t be making money from us and killing us,” spokesman for the group, Austin Enabulele, said.
Enabulele, who further condemned the xenophobic attacks, said: “We wonder why they should attack our fellow Nigerians who are doing their legitimate business in South Africa, when we have shown them love to operate in Nigeria. And we stand here to say that the wave of attack is inhuman and condemnable.
“We are sending this warning because we will do the needful… We are aware of all their (South African) business in Nigeria. We know of MTN; we know of Shoprite; we know of Multichoice and we know of every other company that belong to them.”
On her part, Vice President of the group, Comrade Gloria Noren, described the attacks as “ingratitude of the South Africans,” which she said had received collective support and contributions from Nigeria and neighbouring countries during the apartheid era.