South-east lawmakers petition IGP, demand prosecution of anti-Igbo campaigners

The South-east caucus of the National Assembly has written to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, demanding the arrest and prosecution of social media handlers circulating the #IgboMustGo, in line with the Cybercrime Act.

The caucus made the demand in a petition jointly signed by its leader in the Senate, Enyinnaya Abaribe, and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Igariwey Enwo, on Wednesday.

The #IgboMustGo is a social media campaign for the forced relocation of Igbo people from Lagos and other South-west states of the country within one month.

It gained traction on social media since the beginning of the #EndBadGovernanance nationwide protest on Thursday last week.

In the petition dated 4 August, the federal lawmakers called the attention of the IGP to a post on X, calling on the indigenes and residents of south-west states to forcefully evacuate the Igbos from the geopolitical zone within one month.

The lawmakers specifically said an X user tweeted the post, @Lagospedia before other users started circulating it.

“We write on behalf of all members of the South-east Senate Caucus and all members of the South-east House of Representatives Caucus of the 10th National Assembly. On 27 July, a handle on X (formerly Twitter) with a blue tick known as @Lagospedia (this user on 2 August abandoned this handle switching to @Lagospidia before finally deactivating it on Saturday, 3 August 2024) issued a call, which read thus: “Lagosians and every S’West stakeholders should prepare for the massive protest of #IgboMustGo on the 20th-30th of August. They have one month to leave and relocate their business from all S’West States. We urge all Yorubas living in the S’East to return home. @Lagos_IBILE,” the petition reads partly.

The South-east lawmakers said many social media handlers have been attacking the Igbo people since the post went viral.

They also said the campaigners are pitching the Igbo people against the northerners by insinuating that the Igbos instigated the nationwide protest against hardship and bad governance.

“Since this vile and bigoted tweet was sent out, the social media, especially X, has been inundated by vitriol against the Igbo with several handles including but not limited to the following joining the call for attacks against the Igbo: @GideonAdekusibe; @kultureklansman; @jackunle777; @adex_smithjr; @Waspapping. Some of these handles have openly called for the killing and extermination of Ndi Igbo.

“As the ongoing nationwide protest continues, these anti-Igbo sentiments have led to a well-orchestrated effort at pitching Ndi Igbo against Northerners by insinuating that the Igbos instigated the protests so that Northerners can destroy their homes.

“It is on record that the call for the protest was, in fact, initiated by a Yoruba man and that leaders of the South-east had called on our people not to join the protest, hence the relative peace we are enjoying in the region as there were barely any protests. May we point out that these calls for the extermination of Ndi Igbo are reminiscent of the anti-Igbo campaigns of the 1950s, which culminated in the bloody pogroms of 1966, which eventually led to an even bloodier civil war between 1967 and 1970? All over the world, calls for the extermination of a people have never ended well. The genocide in Rwanda is a good example.”

The federal lawmakers said that the anti-Igbo campaigners had contravened the provisions of the Constitution and that they should be punished for their actions.

They, therefore, called on the IGP to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the anti-Igbo campaigners.

“In view of these constitutional provisions, we affirm that this #IgboMustGo campaign contravenes the provisions of the Constitution and thus its champions must be brought to book. We are therefore calling on you to exercise the powers of your office in ensuring that these culprits are fished out, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

“Justice must be done and be seen to be done as a deterrent to others who harbour such intentions not only against the Igbos but also against any section of the country,” the lawmakers said.