Barely 72 hours after a Chinese supermarket that denies Nigerians entry into its establishment was exposed, an Indian school in Lagos where Nigerians are denied admission has also been discovered in Lagos.
The Indian Language school is located in the Ilupeju area of Lagos state.
Punch reports that several Indians and their kids were seen entering and leaving the brown building opposite Rite Price Supermarket, Akinteye Drive in Ilupeju.
Flooded with Indians, many of them live on the street as they were seen buying items freely at several shops, malls, and stands operated by Nigerians.
While taking a stroll down the bend behind the school plot, Punch’s correspondent saw another story building with the inscription: ‘Indian Language School,’ with some construction workers working at the front. It was not certain whether it was a new building or not.
Returning to the main building and approaching the entrance, it was observed that at the security post, about three guard men were seen, with one on a uniform and another one, likely a septuagenarian, putting on a native attire. They were Nigerian security men from their dress and conversation.
The correspondent asked to make enquiries for his uncle who had two kids and would like to enroll them in the school.
“But that your uncle is an Indian man?” One of the security men responded. The correspondent answered in the affirmative to give room for further discussions as reports showed that at similar foreign establishments, Nigerians were barred even from the point of entry. However, this was not different even with the different approach.
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The security man in uniform immediately took the details of the correspondent in a form and took the form with him to an office while the correspondent was asked to wait at the security post.
While the correspondent sat, Indian nationals were seen trooping in and out.
Upon returning after about four minutes, the security man said, “They said the person should come – the person that is Indian – should come with his two kids.”
He added that the management cannot attend to him (correspondent) because he’s a Nigerian, so the Indian person should come himself while noting that was the response of an unidentified administrative worker, said to be an Indian.
The correspondent went on to ask to meet the said receptionist or admin manager, the security man said, “The woman will not attend to you because that’s the message she asked me to pass across to you.”
When Punch’s correspondent informed them his Indian uncle had not arrived in Nigeria, they still refused him entry.
Asking why he was refused entry, another man at the security post told the correspondent, “You know if they (the owners) were people of our skin color (Nigerians) now (things could be different), but these people, they are the ones that know what they saw that made them do things like that.”
Insisting the admin manager would not attend to our correspondent, the first security man added, “They are Indians. The admin is an Indian.”
When asked if the correspondent could come with his Indian uncle when coming to enroll his children, they responded in the affirmative, echoing “No problem.” “That one is sure,” another one said.
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Based on information available on the school’s website, the institution was established in 1982 as a private school under the umbrella of The High Commission of India. “The school is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi, and has classes from BALVATIKA1 to XII.”
Meanwhile, a source in the commission who preferred anonymity for not being authorized to speak to the media, said the Indian school was established based on some conditions in Nigeria.
“One of the conditions is that it will not enroll locals in the school. It is not their fault,” he said.
