By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Africa’s leading e-commerce platform, Jumia Nigeria, in the early hours of Thursday, October 22, 2020, shut down its website to customers and sellers to mourn victims of protests against police brutality in Nigeria.
In a statement displayed on the online platform after the shutdown, the company appealed to its stakeholders to join in the show of solidarity to mourn the victims.
The company also wish that Nigeria emerges from this as a stronger nation bound in peace and unity.
For more than 10 days, youths in Nigeria stormed the streets to kick against police brutality and on Tuesday evening, some security officials believed to be from the Nigerian Army shot live bullets at peaceful #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos.
The unfortunate incident received wild condemnation, including from the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries from Africa.
On Thursday, President Muhammadu Buhari addressed the nation but was silent on the issue, sparking another outrage from Nigerians.
But in solidarity, Jumia Nigeria shut down its website to mourn victims of the shooting.
“With sadness and heavy hearts, it is our wish to honour those who have died in the course of these protests, with an online midnight to dawn curfew on Jumia site starting at midnight 22-10-2020 and ending at 8am, 23-10-2020.
“We ask all our customers, sellers, partners and stakeholders to join us as we use this medium to express our sorrow.
“We will resume our operations at the end of the curfew and continue serving our customers and sellers.
“It is our prayer that the unfortunate events of the past days will strengthen our commitment to work together as one people and one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity,” a statement posted on the website read.
This move by Jumia Nigeria has been commended by many and other companies have been advised to emulate it.
