XENOPHOBIC ATTTACKS: POLICE GUARD MTN OFFICE IN ABUJA

EMMANUEL ONOTEVURE Abuja – Officers of the Nigerian Police Thursday sealed off the head office of Telecoms giant, MTN in the nation’s capital city of Abuja following protests against xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

NAIJNEWSALERT reports monitored from BBC revealed that the building was sealed off and no-one was "being allowed to enter".

Confirming the alleged development, an unnamed senior manager in Abuja said “staff had to hurriedly lock up and go home. I don't see them as protesters but as people who came to steal and cause confusion”.

"It is a case of invasion. They came, opened the gate, entered and harassed people. They stole customers' phones; they stole the phones and laptops of staff. There were up to 30 policemen but they didn’t do anything to stop them," Nigeria's Daily Post newspaper quoted the Manager as saying.

He condemned the invasion, saying that the protesters could have made their point in a more civilized way, the report said.

However, reports indicated that the telecoms giant released a statement, expressing its concerns and calling for calm.