South East lawmakers petition IGP over hate campaign against Ndigbo on social media

The South East caucus in the National Assembly has formally petitioned Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun over what they describe as a hate campaign against the Igbo ethnic group.

The petition, dated August 4, follows a concerning development related to the ongoing nationwide protests against economic hardship.

Before the protests, an X account issued an alarming ultimatum to the Igbo community, demanding that they relocate their businesses from Lagos, Nigerias commercial hub.

Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senate Minority Leader, and Igariwey Enwo, House of Representatives Minority Leader, signed the petition on behalf of their colleagues from the southeast.

The petition references a recent post by Bayo Onanuga, a presidential media aide, who alleged that the protests were orchestrated by supporters of Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP).

The lawmakers argue that such statements contribute to the escalating hostility against the Igbo community in the country.

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.

They urged the police to identify and prosecute those responsible for spreading these divisive messages.

Additionally, the petition demands that the owner of the Lagospedia X account, which has been promoting the #IgboMustGo campaign, be unmasked and held accountable.