Delta mall which host South Africa super store, Shoprite was on Friday vandalized and shoplifted by hoodlums in Effurun, near Warri, Delta state.
Sources said that the incident took place about 11:am when a disagreement between embattled Uvwie council chairman, Hon Henry Baro and an unidentified naval officer on guard duty at the mall turned violent.
The naval officer allegedly engaged Baro in a quibble but sensing danger he immediately ran into one of the shops inside the mall.
Within seconds, over 70 youths mobilised from within the vicinity and descended on shops looting good worth millions of naira. Baro allegedly ordered the rampaging youths to go fetch the man but the youths went berserk attacking shops and looting good and wares, an employee who preferred anonymity said.
The rampaging youths were said to have also looted shops around the mall and also robbed motorists on broad day light after the incident caused heavy panic and gridlock within the metropolis.
The shoplifting immediately sparked serious discussion in the social media of the growing state of insecurity in the state.
Many locals who spoke with newsmen decried the state of insecurity in Uvwie and other part of the state saying that the local government council served as shoplifting hot spot.
One source told our correspondent that an overzealous naval officer who was on mufti caused the riotous situation as the officer allegedly 'seized' Baro on his shirt during the disagreement which broke out after the said officer came to inquire why Baro's Toyota Vensa car was stuck on the snarling traffic around the Effurun roundabout.
The source claimed that the naval officer allegedly engaged Baro for reportedly causing traffic jam at the roundabout where the Shorite is located but before Baro could explained himself that a truck hit him and ran away hence he was stuck on the road, the naval officer who allegedly flared up because Baro sought his identity beckoned on another officer around and started manhandling him.
According to the source, some onlookers mainly youths who recognized the victim of the assault came to the rescue but sensing danger the naval officer ran into the mall and was reportedly followed by mob.
But State Police Public Relations Officer, Celestina Kalu who confirmed the incident in a statement said that about 1100hrs, one Akume ‘male’ (surname unknown) the Operations Manager of Shoprite Shopping Mall Warri informed the DPO Ekpan Division on phone that some persons invaded the shopping Mall, beat, robbed and injured customers and sales personnel.
She said that based on the report, patrol men were quickly mobilised to the scene and arrested one suspect while others took to their heels.
According to her, preliminary inquiry revealed that one Henry Baron, the suspended chairman of Uvwie Local Government Council had an altercation with a Naval rating identified as Ma’arafu (surname unknown) in the shopping mall.
"In the process the said Henry Baron invited his community Youths who invaded the shopping mall and attacked anyone in sight".
"Meanwhile, detectives attached to State CID Asaba have commenced discreet investigation into the incident and any one found to be culpable would be brought to book".
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