The Chinese supermarket in Abuja that was criticized for not allowing Nigerians to shop there is currently closed, according to PUNCH Online.
Our reporter observed that the grocery store was closed with an anti-theft padlock when they arrived at the premises on Monday at 9:10 am.
Earlier on Sunday, Nigerians expressed outrage over a discriminatory policy by the Chinese Supermarket, which only allowed its citizens in and turned away Nigerians.
The supermarket, located at the China General Chamber of Commerce along Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Road in Abuja, is known for its Chinese cuisine and beverages.
When our reporter visited the supermarket to verify the claim on Sunday, the security personnel at the gate confirmed that the store's management had implemented the policy at the beginning of the year without providing any reasons.
One of the guards, who declined to disclose his name and didn't wear his name tag, stated that non-Chinese shoppers are instructed by the management to be turned away at the gate.
The officer explained, “The management has stopped everything for now. They are still selling, but they restricted entry to only Chinese individuals. The shop is meant exclusively for them. While people were allowed in throughout last year, they changed the policy in January and directed that no Nigerians are allowed inside.
“We were not given any reason for the policy, but we have asked them to remove all advertisements from the Internet to prevent people from coming.”
However, our reporter was allowed entry because, as the officer put it, “Today is Sunday, and you are covered with grace.”
At the grocery store located at Villa 7, a variety of foreign and local food, drinks, and essential items were displayed on the shelf without price tags.
One of the attendants, who speaks Yoruba, was surprised that a Nigerian was allowed to enter, suggesting that “Maybe they allowed you because you didn’t come with a car.”
She also mentioned that authorities stopped Nigerians from entering for reasons unknown to them.
She noted, “Yes, Nigerians are not allowed in the supermarket. Only people who work on the premises can shop here. There are reasons, but we don’t know because it was not like this before. I don’t know how they let you in, maybe because you didn't come with a car. They would never allow anyone with a car to enter the premises.
On Monday at the gate, our reporter encountered a different set of security personnel who allowed access without asking any questions.
The guard, who had a name tag, said, “You want to go to the supermarket? You can go, without asking further questions.
Efforts to find out the reasons for the closure from passersby proved unsuccessful as they claimed not to have any information about the situation.
No one entered or left the compound for over 45 minutes while our reporter was outside the premises.
Our reporter also saw a lot of security on the road going to the supermarket.
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