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A disturbing trend of hate-fueled rhetoric against the Igbo people has prompted the South-East caucus in the National Assembly to raise an alarm, seeking intervention from the nation’s top law enforcement officer, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.
As the economic hardship protests sweep across the nation, a disturbing undercurrent has emerged, leading to a petition being lodged on August 4. This latest development has raised concerns about the direction of the movement.
Prior to the outbreak of protests, a provocative ultimatum was issued by an unknown X account, specifically targeting the Igbo community and demanding they abandon their commercial ventures in Lagos, Nigeria’s thriving business capital.
Demonstrating their commitment to the cause, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senate Minority Leader, and Igariwey Enwo, House of Representatives Minority Leader, affixed their signatures to the petition, standing in solidarity with their fellow southeastern lawmakers.
The petition takes issue with a recent statement made by Bayo Onanuga, a media adviser to the president, who claimed that the protests were masterminded by loyalists of Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s standard-bearer in the 2023 presidential election.
By making such claims, the lawmakers argue, Bayo Onanuga and others are stoking the flames of hostility against the Igbo people, creating a toxic environment that puts them at greater risk.
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“In light of Section 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees every Nigerian the right to move freely and reside anywhere in the country, and Section 15(4), which mandates the State to foster national unity and discourage sectional loyalties, the #IgboMustGo campaign is a blatant violation of these constitutional provisions,” the petition read.
The South-East caucus also called on the IGP to take decisive action against the proponents of the campaign.
The lawmakers are calling on the police to crack down on those responsible for spreading these dangerous and divisive messages, bringing them to justice and putting an end to the escalating violence and hostility.
Furthermore, the petition is demanding that the identity of the individual behind the ‘Lagospedia’ X account, which has been instrumental in spreading the hateful #IgboMustGo campaign, be revealed and brought to justice.
