The President General of Igbo Buru Otu Association of Nigeria, Eze Dr Chika Nwokedi, has expressed worries over threats to Ndigbo by some people, which may trigger ethnic violence in Lagos State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that Eze Nwokedi stated this on the heels of the video trending on the social media, where Igbo people living in Lagos were asked to leave with threat of attack on Ndigbo on Lagos Island, which the security agencies are yet to do anything about.
He stated that such comments could trigger ethnic violence and that the situation was worrisome because the owners of the land and their leaders kept silent over such irresponsible statement coming from their subjects.
Eze Nwokedi explained that Ndigbo are fully integrated into Nigeria because they are in all the sectors including the security agencies – Police, Army, Navy, Air Force etc., and Federal Government. He wondered why Ndigbo will be threatened in Lagos State while not participating in the protest.
He stated that the threat to Ndigbo has become real and it started after last year’s election where all sorts of false allegations were made against Ndigbo in Lagos.
He said that the threat was veiled in the guise that Ndigbo want to take over Lagos and now it has moved to Ndigbo want to destroy lives and properties in Lagos. He wondered how the Igbo, who have invested heavily in Lagos, will would want to destroy their properties.
Eze Nwokedi explained that Ndigbo are not violent people, they have invested heavily in Lagos and will not want anything that will bring breach of public peace in the State.
He called for peace and unity among ethnic groups because all human beings are the same and explained that when a patient goes to a hospital for blood transfusion, Doctors will not demand Yoruba or Igbo blood but any available blood without checking which tribe the person comes from and that shows that human beings are the same.
Eze Nwokedi urged all the ethnic groups to live in peace and eschew violence because we are one Nigeria and asked that all work together to make Nigeria great. He also urged the Igbo to continue to maintain peace and obey the laws of the land while doing their businesses and warned them to guide their utterances, which could attract envy and hatred while doing their businesses.
In the same vein, the General Secretary of Igbo Buru Otu, Chief Ifeanyi Igwegbe, expressed concern over what is going on between the Igbo and other ethnic groups in Lagos State. He called for peace and unity among the people while highlighting that Lagos is a second home and Ndigbo have contributed immensely to developing Lagos because it is their second home.
He stated that the threat was worrisome because it might cause breach of public peace in the State. He called on all to embrace peace and continue to move Lagos forward.
The Vice President of Igbo Buru Otu, Rev. Moses Okwuosa, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for their efforts to revamp the economy and enjoined every Nigerian to embark on prayers for the President to succeed.
He explained that this period is not time for violence or doing anything that will cause breach of public peace rather we should support the Government both at the State and Federal levels with prayers at this critical period and not do anything that will trigger ethnic violence in Lagos State and indeed Nigeria.