Fact-Check: Were Nigerians Barred from Shopping in a Chinese Supermarket at Abuja Estate?

Fact-Check: Were Nigerians Barred from Shopping in a Chinese Supermarket at Abuja Estate? 

Claims: There’s a disturbing claim in a new video that Nigerians are not allowed to enter or shop  at a Chinese supermarket located in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. 

Full Text: The now viral video has been circulating on various social media platforms particularly on X. 

As reported by the viral claim, this particular supermarket is only open to Chinese customers and that any Nigerian employee who violates the policy risks losing his/her job. 

In the video, the man who originated the story could be heard saying, “Wonders shall never end. There is a supermarket I saw online that is a Chinese supermarket. They have Chinese food, ramen and other things. I wanted to go there and check it out but I was denied entry. The security officers at the gate said the supermarket was strictly for Chinese people and no Nigerian is allowed to go inside or buy anything. Is that possible in China?

“This supermarket is here in Abuja and a Nigerian cannot enter. This is a joke. So that means a Chinese guy has more rights than you here in Nigeria. Chinese guys are allowed to visit anywhere in the country. The thing shocked me oo!. Now I am going back to our local supermarket because they said I cannot enter.”

The recent allegations that Nigerians are being barred from entering a Chinese supermarket in Abuja have stirred up memories of a similar incident in April 2020, when a video of Nigerian residents in China facing discrimination went viral. 

This earlier controversy, which was denounced by Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, raised serious concerns about potential xenophobia against Nigerians in China. The Chinese government, while claiming to take the matter seriously, also blamed Western media for allegedly exaggerating these incidents to undermine China.

Verification: In an effort to verify the claims made in the viral video, PRNigeria fact-check team utilized reverse image search technology to analyze the footage and determine its authenticity. This process, known as key-frame extraction, led to an existing media report by a National Newspaper detailing the same incident.

Following the claims made in the viral video, an investigation was launched by the PRNigeria fact-check team to determine the validity of the accusations. 

The supermarket in question, situated at the China General Chamber of Commerce along Airport road in the Federal Capital Territory, has a reputation for offering Chinese cuisine and beverages. However, the findings from open source investigation revealed that Nigerians attempting to enter the supermarket were denied entry, mirroring the claims made in the video.

Further investigation has revealed that this may not be an isolated incident. In 2016, similar allegations emerged from a Chinese supermarket located in Gwarinpa, with the owners citing issues with Nigerian customer behavior as justification for denying entry. These recurring reports raise questions about the treatment of Nigerians in Chinese-owned businesses and the potential for discriminatory practices within the community.

Additionally, a team of investigators arrived at the Chinese supermarket in question at 9.10 am on Monday and found the premises to be locked and secured with an anti-theft padlock. 

Later, an update emerged that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) had sealed the Chinese supermarket located within the China General Chamber of Commerce in Abuja, following allegations of discriminatory practices against Nigerians.

The FCCPC officials sealed up the place after interrogating Nigerian workers at the supermarket.

This was as facilities workers at the store disclosed that the owner of the supermarket had fled the premises.

The workers mostly Nigerians stated this on when the officials of the Commission stormed the supermarket.

The workers said that the owner of the supermarket, a Chinese lady, Cindy Liu Bei, fled on Monday at 8:26 am with her family as confirmed on the Closed-Circuit Television camera.

Also, a YouTube panel discussion on TVC emerged in which several individuals confirmed that they had personally visited the location in question. This new development further validates the claims made in the viral video and adds weight to the concerns raised about potential racist practices within the Chinese-owned businesses in Abuja.

Meanwhile, Nigerian netizens voice their outrage over the discriminatory treatment by the Chinese supermarket. Nigerians are demanding answers and justice for what they perceive as a discriminatory policy targeting them solely because of their nationality, and are urging the supermarket’s management to address these concerns immediately.

Also, the China General Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria has given insight into the operation of a Chinese supermarket within the premises of the Royal Choice Estate, Airport Road, Abuja.

In a statement by its Secretary, Mr. Cui Guangzheng, the China Chamber of Commerce explained that the estate housing both the supermarket and the commerce building was not entirely a supermarket.

According to the statement, the residential area of the estate consists of private residents who adhere to security protocols in granting access to external visitors.

Conclusion: After a comprehensive open source investigation by PRNigeria’s fact-check team, it has been confirmed that Nigerians were indeed denied entry to a Chinese supermarket in Abuja. However, following mounting public pressure and a growing chorus of voices demanding accountability, the China General Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria has denied the allegation. 

However based on findings from open source investigations, accounts of Nigerian victims and testimonials of the supermarket employees to Federal agents, PRNigeria concludes that the claim that Chinese supermarket bar Nigerians from entering or shopping inside is TRUE. 

By PRNigeria