The Chinese supermarket in Abuja, which faced criticism for its discriminatory policy of denying entry to Nigerians, has temporarily closed its doors.
On Monday at 9:10 am, our correspondent arrived at the premises only to find the grocery store locked with an anti-theft padlock.
The outrage among Nigerians erupted on Sunday after reports of the supermarket implementing a policy that allowed entry exclusively to Chinese citizens while barring Nigerians. The supermarket, located at the China General Chamber of Commerce along Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Road in Abuja, is renowned for its Chinese cuisine and beverages.
When our correspondent visited the supermarket on Sunday to verify the claims, security personnel at the gate confirmed that the management had indeed issued a directive at the beginning of the year, prohibiting Nigerians from entering without providing any reasons for the decision.
An unnamed security guard stated, “For now, they (management) have stopped everything. The truth is that they are still selling, but they said our people should stop coming. The shop is only meant for Chinese people. People were allowed to come in throughout last year, but since January, they changed the policy and directed that no Nigerian is allowed to enter.”
Our correspondent, however, gained entrance to the supermarket on Sunday, as the security officer mentioned that Sundays were an exception. The supermarket, located at Villa 7, displayed a variety of local and foreign food, drinks, and essential items on its shelves without price tags.
One of the attendants, who spoke Yoruba, expressed surprise at a Nigerian being allowed inside and speculated that it might be due to the absence of a car. She also mentioned that Nigerians had been barred from entering for reasons unknown to them.
Further attempts to gather information from passersby regarding the closure were unsuccessful, as they claimed to have no knowledge of the situation. During our correspondent’s presence outside the premises, no individuals entered or exited the compound for over 45 minutes.
Additionally, heavy security presence was observed on the street leading to the supermarket. More details on this developing story will be provided soon.
