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The South East Caucus of the National Assembly has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun, urging him to arrest and prosecute individuals promoting anti-Igbo slogan #IgboMustGo in the South West and across the country.
The petition dated 4 August highlights troubling developments surrounding the ongoing nationwide protests against economic hardship.
The hateful campaign orchestrated by Lagospedia on its official X handle, urged Lagosians and Yoruba stakeholders to prepare for a mass protest against the Igbo community, demanding they relocate their businesses from the region.
Lagospedia also called for Yorubas living in the Southeast to return home
But in response to this threat, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senate Minority Leader, and Igariwey Enwo, House of Representatives Minority Leader, endorsed the petition on behalf of their southeast caucus.
The petition references a recent post by Bayo Onanuga, a presidential spokesman, who claimed that the protests were masterminded by supporters of Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election.
The lawmakers noted that such allegations aggravated the rising hostility toward the Igbo community in Nigeria.
In the petition, they cite “Section 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which states: ‘Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry or exit therefrom.’
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“Additionally, Section 15(4) asserts: ‘The State shall foster a feeling of belonging and involvement among the various people of the Federation, ensuring that loyalty to the nation supersedes sectional loyalties.’
The South-East caucus called upon the IGP to take decisive action against the promoters of this campaign.
They urged the police to identify and prosecute those responsible for disseminating these divisive messages.
“In light of these constitutional provisions, we assert that this #IgboMustGo campaign violates the Constitution, and its advocates must be held accountable.
“We therefore urge you to exercise your authority to ensure the identification and prosecution of these individuals to the fullest extent of the law.”
