Ohanaeze holds Sanwoolu MC Oluomo and Oba of Lagos responsible for attacks on Igbos

OHANAEZE Ndigbo has promised to hold Governor Babajide Sanwoolu responsible for any further attacks on Igbos in Lagos State following the recent eruption of violence in the metropolis as a fallout of last Saturday's presidential elections.

Over the weekend, Nigerians went to the polls and in one of the shock results of the contest, Peter Obi of the Labour Party defeated former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos. Former Anambra State governor Obi, secured 582,454 votes to Asiwaju Tinubu's 572,670.

Unfortunately, as soon as the news broke, hoodlums, believed to be Tinubu supporters, started attacking traders of Igbo extraction on Lagos Island. Responding to the mindless violence, Ohanaeze said the attacks were an attempt to pitch Igbos against Yorubas in Lagos State.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, general secretary Okechukwu Isiguzoro, also warned that apart from the governor, the body would hold the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu and MC Oluomo, the chairman of the Lagos State branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers responsible for the attacks. He then urged people of Lagos State to vote out Governor Sanwoolu during next weekend's governorship election.

Mazi Isiguzoro said: “We have observed the calculated attempt to pitch the Yorubas against the Igbos with the ethnic colouration that both tribes are fighting because Labour Party won Lagos State. We want to make it categorically clear that we have Yorubas who are supporting Obi like Obasanjo and Ayo Adebanjo.

“We are holding the governor of Lagos State responsible for any calculated attack against innocent Igbo traders and we are holding MC Oloumo and the Oba of Lagos if anything happens to traders and the community in Lagos State. The governor of Lagos State has failed in his duties to protect the lives and properties of the people of the state and we hereby, call on him to resign honourably for failing to perform his duties.

“The attack of Igbos in various parts of Lagos State is an act of cowardice and a sad reality that he has lost control.  They are preparing to unleash more terror on Igbo community ahead of the March governorship election, so we are telling Lagosians that since the governor has failed in his statutory obligations to protect them, they should vote him out except he apologises and ensures the protection of lives and properties.

“Also, we are telling Igbos communities in Lagos that self-defence and determination is a universal law, they should never allow what happened in 1993 to happen in 2023 when Abiola lost the election and Igbos became the victims. Igbos must rise up and defend themselves, they should be peaceful, calm and never be involved in troublemaking but if trouble comes to their doorstep, they should rise up and defend themselves.

“They should never instigate any crisis where they are but as Nigerians, they should rise up and bravely defend themselves wherever they are. The message is very clear - they should be law-abiding citizens but defend themselves.”