A little over two years ago, Steve Okeke, 34, quit his job as a store manager in Nigeria and moved to United Kingdom in search of a better life. Six months later, his wife and their 1-year-old child joined him.
A little over two years ago, Steve Okeke, 34, quit his job as a store manager in Nigeria and moved to United Kingdom in search of a better life. Six months later, his wife and their 1-year-old child joined him.
“We decided to embark on a life-changing adventure in a foreign land,” he said. “I wanted a better life for my family, and I felt this was the best place to be.”
Okeke settled in a middle-class neighborhood in the northern English town of Chester and started working at a local care home.
But after a wave of violent racist and anti-immigrant riots across England following the brutal killing of three girls in Southport, another northern town, Okeke has been confused and scared for the safety of his family.
“I started monitoring the news more frequently to keep up with what was going on,” he said. “I want to be safe and make sure my family is safe, too.”
Before moving to the U.K., Okeke had witnessed violent protests in his home country. In Jos, a city in north-central Nigeria where he lived for 10 years, politically motivated fighting between Christians and Muslims is random and common.
“I never expected to witness something like this here,” he said. “I thought we had escaped this sort of thing and can only see it back home.”
Okeke is one of many Nigerians living in the U.K. who have been caught up in violence they’d hoped to leave behind. According to 2021 data, 270,768 U.K. residents were born in Nigeria. Despite the high costs of relocating to the U.K., it remains a top choice for study, work, and family settlement. Many Nigerian immigrants see it as both close to home and offering a refuge from the political chaos that often convulses Nigeria, such as the current protests against the government’s economic reforms. But Okeke said this view is gradually changing for him and many other Nigerian immigrants who have been witnessing the ongoing carnage.
On X, dozens of Nigerians living in the U.K. have been sharing their experiences since the unrest started, from avoiding certain spots to restricting their late-night walks to locking themselves up in their apartments.
Dami Ajayi, a writer who moved to the U.K. five years ago, said the ongoing unrest reminds him of his experience in 2020 when English soccer fans unleashed violence during the European championship final at Wembley Stadium.
“I lived in Wembley then, and I could hear the mayhem unleashed by disgruntled English fans,” he posted on X. “What they expressed that evening is what keeps me away from British pubs.”
The riots have mostly targeted Muslim immigrants, asylum-seekers, and people of color. Far-right groups have been whipping up anti-immigrant sentiment, which has been exacerbated by misinformation. More than a dozen towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland have seen violent riots, arson, and lootings.
The government is trying to reassure the British public they’re safe. Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused far-right groups and individuals online of exploiting the deaths of the three girls to fuel attacks on asylum-seekers and people of color, promising to prosecute all those involved in the riots.
In less than a week, nearly 600 arrests have been made in connection to the riots, with some 150 charges filed. The number of arrests is expected to triple in the coming weeks. The government has announced plans to make more than 500 new prison places available to deal with arrested rioters.
“There are fears it will escalate to this area, but we are being reassured of our safety,” said Chinedu Onyigbuo, a Nigerian who lives in the London area. “Reassurance is coming from our working place. But then we have to keep safe and watch our moves. The authorities are really trying their best to quell the whole thing and make sure that citizens are safe and holding people accountable.”
Onyigbuo said he doesn’t walk alone or take dark or deserted paths since the violent riots escalated.
“I’m very careful wherever I’m going, and that’s the only way to keep yourself safe. I keep my ears open, listening to news to know what’s going to happen in the next minute. I’m on alert.”
Back in Nigeria, there are growing concerns about the escalating violence, with families and loved ones checking in frequently.
In the wake of the riots, the Nigerian government issued a travel advisory for Nigerians planning to visit the U.K., warning of an “increased risk of violence and disorder.” This was the first travel advisory issued by an African nation since the riots started.
“I would leave here if this [situation] gets out of control,” said Matthew Nnamdi, a Nigerian student who shares a flat with an Indian roommate in Peckham, a popular Black-dominated neighborhood in southeastern London. “We are all worried by the developments and want everything to return to normal like they were before.”
Nnamdi, a self-sponsored student who arrived in London last spring, said he had high hopes and expectations of the country but isn’t sure anymore with the current developments.
“Tensions are still high, and no one knows what’s coming next.”
Across the U.K., counterprotests and dozens of anti-racism demonstrations have been held, with many more planned in the coming days to denounce the ongoing riots, stand with the migrant community, and support the government’s efforts at quelling them. Okeke said he will be joining any movement to end the carnage and bring about peace in his community and across troubled spots in the country.
“I still want to stay here and create a better future for my child,” he said. “If the riots come to an end, it will be better for everybody.”
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