The life of an average Igbo person living in Lagos has been endangered because of the fact that the Labour Party defeated the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the just concluded presidential election, as political pundits are still astonished that Peter Obi, the LP candidate could come from nowhere to dislodged a system that has been in operation for the past 24 years
By Miracle Egbo
In all evidential facts at the disposal of Tentacle, Igbos living in Lagos are not being treated like Nigerians, they are seen as foreigners who have no right whatsoever in their affairs as being handled by the Lagos State government. The discrimination in Lagos against the Igbo is so palpable to the extent that Yoruba landlords find it difficult to rent their houses to Igbos. Whatever is their reason for rejecting Igbos as their tenants is still in the realm of conjecture but one which stands out like sore thumb is the fact that Yorubas do not like Igbos for a bit.
In the polling units monitored by this medium, one common feature among the vocal Yoruba men and women is that fact that Igbo people were repeatedly reminded that they should go back to their various states and perform their civic duties as it affects participating in the Presidential and National Assembly elections held across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. At the wake of the Presidential and National Assembly election, many Igbo went home with bruised nose, broken legs and hands, despite all these injuries, the Yorubas are still threatening to deal with the Igbos because they voted for LP at the polls.
In some of the major markets visited by this medium, the Igbo traders were fear personified in the various locations of doing business because of the palpable threat being dished out to them by the thugs who are believed to be sponsored by the political gladiators in the state. The threat was noticeable that the Nigerian Police Lagos State Command under the Police Commissioner, Idowu Ohunwa had to call for a town hall meeting where the fears of the Igbos were allayed. At the town hall meeting, the police assured those in attendance that every effort was being made to make sure that all the necessary security measures are put in place to ensure that Igbos and other ethnic nationalities are protected during and after the elections.
One Ademola Adetayo in vicious write up that is being circulated in social media called on his Yoruba brothers to make sure that Igbos are not allowed to vote for the candidate of LP during the governorship election because that would mean handing over the affairs of the Lagos State to Igbos. “Let it stick into your blocked head that there is grand plan to handover the state to the Igbos. I just hope we will wake up and smell the coffee before it is too late”.
Folarin Falana, a lawyer and entertainer called on the police to make sure that all the promises they made are carried to the letter without fear or favour. He said that if the police failed this time around to tame the rising tide of hate speech against the Igbos and other tribes, anarchy is not far away from the country. He called for calm among other ethnic groups who are evidently being harassed by the sponsored thugs. He reminded all that majority of Yorubas voted for the LP because the party had more convincing messages that other political parties did not have, adding that nobody should be vilified for supporting Obi in Lagos State.
In the same vein, Femi Falana, SAN reminded the police that they must be seen to be protecting the citizens in the state, insisting that the street urchins that attacked other ethnic nationalities should be brought to book immediately without delay. He advised the Igbos to report any case of intimidation to him as he is going to sue whoever is responsible to court on behalf of whoever is molested or attacked during the election or after. He called on the police to be up and doing in securing the populace during and after any election.
The town hall meeting allowed all the ethnic nationalities to air their views on the security situation in the state but assured all those at the meeting the police are ready to secure everybody in the state after and during the election.
