South African-owned businesses operating in Nigeria are being targeted with violence in retaliation for xenophobic attacks carried out against Africans working in South Africa.
Police in South African arrested more than 100 people in five areas impacted by days of violence in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Amid a growing outcry about the attacks on many Nigerians living in South Africa, youths took to the streets Tuesday evening in some Nigerian cities to attack South African owned businesses.
The offices of South Africa telecommunications giant MTN in the southwest city of Ibadan were set ablaze Tuesday while the company's office in Uyo in the southeast was attacked by an angry crowd that vandalized properties, according to local newspaper reports.
Shattered glass, tires and damaged printers lay in the vandalized MTN shops in the Surulere neighborhood of Lagos, which on Wednesday had police vans outside.
"They broke into the shop, carrying laptops and many other things away," Bala Muhammed told The Associated Press.
"I had to close my kiosk because I was afraid because some people will use the opportunity to come steal. It has happened before as they are lots of people you won't know who to hold responsible."