Helicopter hovered over my home for 5 hours - Nigerians share their UK riots experience

Nigerians have relived how they managed to stay safe during the recent anti-immigrant riots in the United Kingdom which was targeted at mainly black and Muslim migrants.

Since the beginning of August, Britain has been engulfed in a series of riots, which initially started as protests over the death of three young girls in a horrible knife attack in Southport, northwest England.

The deceased, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6, were killed in a stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class in late July.

Police arrested a 17-year-old male as the suspected killer of the victims of the attack that also left 10 others wounded.

However, trouble began when rumour started swirling around that the suspect was a black Muslim migrant.

The misinformation was parroted by some influential British politicians and social media personalities, including anti-Islam activist, Tommy Robinson.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was alleged to have stocked the violence after his involvement prompted several thousand far-right natives to start running amuck across the country.

The protesters gathered near Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office on 10 Downing Street in Central London to protest.

However, the demonstration soon turned riotous, leading to security agents arresting 100 suspects.

But the riot quickly spread like wildfire, affecting more than 20 cities in the UK, including Sunderland, Plymouth, Belfast, and Manchester.

The far-right protesters looted shops, attacked mosques, building housing asylum seekers, cars, and houses while calling for an end to the influx of illegal immigrants into their country.

To stem the violence, Starmer made a national address and vowed that the rioters and everyone involved in stocking the violence would be arrested and speedily prosecuted.

Nigerians talk about UK riots

Meanwhile, some Nigerians have told Pulse about their experience during the riots.

Shola, a Nigerian student who works as a customer assistant at a retail store in Sunderland, recalled how he and his wife had to remain indoors for hours while a Police helicopter hovered over their house for over five hours.

"Here in Sunderland, we witnessed the citizen advice office next to a police station set on fire. The police station was broken into. One of the most popular fast foods Greg's was broken into. A bank NatWest was damaged. Police were attacked.

"Over my own house, a police helicopter was hovering for over five hours. It started around six in the evening and things didn't come back to normal until 1 am in the middle of the night," he said.

He said the far-right extremists targeted black Muslim migrants because of the misinformation about the identity of the arrested suspect, even though Police had come out to say the suspect was a British black Christian teenager.

He revealed that a friend of his, who is a Christian residing in Middlesborough, had his home attacked by the rioters.

"I have a friend in Middlesborough, whose house was stoned and his windows broken. He is Nigerian and he is Christian. The fact is that they said they are protesting the increase in the crime rate of Muslim immigrants because they felt that it was a black Muslim immigrant that killed these three little girls, but the police have come out to say it's actually a British black Christian," he added.

But the situation is different for Janet, another Nigerian whose house is located on the street where the first protest took place.

"I wasn't around when it happened. I had to leave before it started because it started in my street, and I didn't return until everything died down," she said.

Janet said she fled home before the initial protest got underway after words got around that it could snowball into chaos.

"It was a planned 'peaceful' protest. The information was spread all over that there will be one. The meeting point was a park like a stone's throw from my house.

"Taxi drivers that knew how the far-right extremists can be already told people of colour to stay at home or avoid the areas as much as possible," she stated.

Janet's experience is similar to that of Mayor, a Liverpool resident who was also out of town when the riots erupted.

"I didn't experience it in person because I wasn't in the city when it happened. I just got back and things are calm now," he said.

Manchester resident, Yemi said his area wasn't affected by the riots but noted all black people and Muslims were being cautious of their movement because of the heightened tension.

"Nothing really happened at my end but one needs to be very careful of their movement. It's advisable that people go out in groups and avoid some places due to how volatile they can be.

"The riots were largely peaceful in Manchester but places like Piccadilly should be avoided until the matter dials down," he said.

UK assures safety of Nigerians

Meanwhile, the UK, through its High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, has assured that Nigerians in the country are safe.

Montgomery made this known during a meeting with the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, last Wednesday.

"We will not, as a country, accept discrimination or attacks against any community," the envoy said.

This was after the Federal Government issued a critical travel alert advising Nigerians to exercise extreme caution when visiting the UK.

The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement emphasised the need for heightened vigilance by citizens planning to journey to the country.

"Citizens are strongly advised to avoid political processions, protests, rallies, and any large gatherings.

"Staying alert and avoiding crowded areas are crucial for personal safety," said the ministry's spokesman, Eche Abu-Obe.