“They are protesting against the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa. It’s our regional head office in Abuja. That’s where we have our customer care centre,” the MTN spokesman said.
“They vandalised equipment, stole customer phones and I-Pads. Some customers too were attacked.”
A South African government source described the attack as serious.”
This wasn’t just some people on the street throwing stones. They broke into the building and stole things and broke things,” the source said.
The incident coincided with a visit by MTN chairman Phuthuma Nhleko to the Nigerian capital to see Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who has been in charge for the last month in the absence on sick leave of President Muhamadu Buhari.
Nigeria and South Africa, the continent’s two largest economies and pre-eminent diplomatic and military powers, enjoy a volatile relationship.
This week, at least 20 shops believed to belong to immigrants were looted in South Africa’s capital although police refused to say if the attackers were specifically targeting foreigners.
Anti-immigrant violence flares sporadically in South Africa, fuelled by persistent 26% unemployment and a belief that African foreigners, some of them illegal immigrants, are taking jobs from locals.
Responding to attacks on the shops, Nigeria’s foreign ministry said it would summon South Africa’s envoy to raise its concerns over “xenophobic attacks” on Nigerians, other Africans and Pakistanis.
South Africa’s mobile operator MTN Group said yesterday it was concerned over the violence against its property in Nigeria, where protesters attacked and vandalised its head office.
“Reacting to recent events that appear to be directed against non-nationals both in South Africa and Nigeria, MTN Group expresses concern over the violence,” the group said in a statement.
Two Germans have been kidnapped while working at an archaeological site in northern Nigeria, police said yesterday.
“I can confirm to you the abduction of two Germans at Jenjela village in southern Kaduna on Wednesday,” state police spokesman Usman Aliyu told AFP.
Aliyu said the men had been working at the site in Kaduna state for more than 10 years and had been assigned security personnel because of a spate of kidnappings in the area.
But he said they had instead used local villagers as escorts.
Residents said two women, also thought to be German, were with the men when they were attacked.
“The abductors came wielding guns and machetes and asked the two Germans to follow them into the bush,” said one resident, who asked not to be identified because of security fears.
“Surprisingly, they did not kidnap the two female German colleagues of the men.
They fired shots into the air to scare off the villagers before abducting the Germans.
“Two village hunters who decided to go after the abductors were shot dead.”
The kidnapping took place near the road linking Kaduna airport, which lies to the north of the state capital, Kaduna city, with the capital Abuja.
Safety on the road has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks since the federal government announced the closure of Abuja’s only airport for essential runway repairs.
All domestic flights will be diverted to Kaduna airport from March 8 for six weeks but international carriers have refused to re-route their services.
Questions have been raised about the airport’s ability to handle long-haul flights as well as security on the Abuja road after a wave of kidnappings.
There has also been a renewal of deadly violence between Fulani herdsmen and farmers over land and grazing rights in southern Kaduna that has killed at least 200 people since December.
The German nationals were working in collaboration with the Nigerian National Commission for Museum and Monuments on the relics of the Nok, an early Iron Age population, the police said.
