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As protests continued to spread across the nation, the South East Caucus of the National Assembly convened an emergency session on Friday to address the growing concern of ethnic profiling, with a specific focus on the Igbo community, which has become increasingly vulnerable to this pernicious practice.
A joint statement from Eyinaya Abaribe and Igariwey Enwo, leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives Caucuses, expressed outrage over the targeting of Igbos, who, having followed their leaders’ guidance to avoid participating in the protests, were still unfairly singled out for harassment and mistreatment.
A nationwide outcry against the deepening economic woes gripping Nigeria erupted on Thursday, as the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria movement kicked off in multiple cities across the country, shining a spotlight on the escalating hardship faced by millions.
The protest movement’s message was marred by bloodshed in northern Nigeria, where clashes in Kano, Jigawa, and Niger states turned deadly, forcing the government to impose curfews to quell the violence.
The toll so far: at least five fatalities and widespread property damage, as the region teeters on the brink of further instability.
Despite the nationwide unrest, the Igbo people opted for a path of calm, eschewing participation in the protests at the behest of their leaders, including governors, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, lawmakers, and business moguls.
The South East caucus acknowledged this measured approach, highlighting the community’s commitment to stability.
This decision has contributed to the relative calm observed in the five South Eastern states.
However, the caucus expressed disappointment over the continued scapegoating of Igbos, evidenced by online statements such as the “Igbo Must Go” hashtag and inflammatory posts by certain social media handles like ‘Lagospedia’ on X (formerly Twitter). The caucus condemned these actions as dangerous and unwarranted ethnic profiling.
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The statement read, “The attention of the South East Caucus of the National Assembly has been drawn to the unfortunate and dangerous ethnic profiling of Igbos in the ongoing mass protests across the country.
“For the records, the Igbo nation, in obedience to the advice of their leaders- Governors, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, parliamentarians and others in the private sector- had taken a reasoned and strategic decision not to participate in the ongoing nationwide protests. This is evident in the relative calm experienced in the five South Eastern states.
“We are, therefore, surprised and disappointed, that Igbos are still made scapegoats, and targeted as instigators of protests, as shown in several statements (such as the Igbo Must Go hashtag and call by a certain ‘Lagospedia’ X(Twitter) handle) and videos seen online.”
The South East caucus noted that the dangerous ethnic profiling is unwarranted, and must stop, stressing that it was such profiling that led to the millions of deaths in Nigeria from the 1950’s to the unfortunate civil war in 1967 to 1970.
“Elsewhere in Africa, it led to the genocide in Rwanda and the xenophobia in South Africa. Such should not be our fate again in Nigeria.
“We demand therefore that the security agencies bring to book the purveyors of these hate speeches in line with the cybercrimes act and criminal laws of the country.
“We continue to appeal to Igbos across the country to stay away from the protests, and remain law-abiding,” the statement said.
