Nigerians Face Hell in Brazil as Police Raid Shops

Adeyinka Olaiya/

Shops owned by Nigerians in Brazil are reportedly under attacks by policemen in the Latin American country.

NewsmakersNG obtained exclusive shots where officers were seen raiding shops belonging to Nigerians in Sao Paulo and pocketing monies found inside.

“They invaded the Mall, shooting around the Nigerian shops and intimidating every foreign national, many Nigerians were wounded, robbed and arrested, even though nothing illicit was found on them. We will report them to the government of Brazil and Nigeria for the right providences to be taken against them,” says a Nigerian businessman whose shop was also raided.

The Police authorities through a special anti-crime squad called FORÇA TACTICA invaded the famous mall called GALERIA DO ROCK in the city of Sao Paulo, where many Nigerian businessmen ply their trades to realize the normal checking in all the shops owned by Nigerians in accordance with the Brazilian state law but criminally obtained for themselves thousands of dollars from the Nigerian shops.

NewsmakersNG learnt that the Nigerian community in the country has called on the Federal Government of Brazil to take quick action and end the malpractices.

About 10 fully armed policemen in uniforms were seen arriving the mall at exactly 5 pm Brazilian time. They allegedly searched only the shops belonging to Nigerians with the intention of finding drugs or other illicit things but could not find anything illegal.

Ajewole, a Nigerian businessman who recently opened a shop in the same Mall told NewsmakersNG that the police in Sao Paulo are used to such practices. He said that it was not the first time they would be stealing from Nigerians in the Mall.

He also claimed that the Nigerian community on several occasions have asked the government in Sao Paulo to help protect the foreign nationals from corrupt policemen who see Nigerians as easy targets to enrich their purses.

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