Stop profiling Igbo, N’Assembly S’East caucus cries out

The South East Caucus of the National Assembly on Friday expressed deep concerns over the ethnic profiling of Igbos amidst the ongoing nationwide protests.

In a statement jointly signed by the leader of the Senate and House of Reps Caucus, Eyinaya Abaribe and Igariwey Enwo, noted that despite adhering to the guidance of their leaders to abstain from participating in the protests, the Igbos have been unjustly targeted.

The #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest, which aims to raise concerns about hardship exacerbated began Thursday in various parts of the country.

The protest turned violent in some northern states including Kano, Jigawa and Niger, forcing the government to impose curfews. At least five people have been killed in these states and several properties damaged.

The South East caucus noted that the Igbos, following the advice of governors, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, parliamentarians, and private sector leaders, decided not to engage in the protests.

This decision has contributed to the relative calm observed in the five South Eastern states.

However, the caucus expressed disappointment over the continued scapegoating of Igbos, evidenced by online statements such as the “Igbo Must Go” hashtag and inflammatory posts by certain social media handles like ‘Lagospedia’ on X (formerly Twitter). The caucus condemned these actions as dangerous and unwarranted ethnic profiling.

The statement read, “The attention of the South East Caucus of the National Assembly has been drawn to the unfortunate and dangerous ethnic profiling of Igbos in the ongoing mass protests across the country.

“For the records, the Igbo nation, in obedience to the advice of their leaders- Governors, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, parliamentarians and others in the private sector- had taken a reasoned and strategic decision not to participate in the ongoing nationwide protests. This is evident in the relative calm experienced in the five South Eastern states.

“We are, therefore, surprised and disappointed, that Igbos are still made scapegoats, and targeted as instigators of protests, as shown in several statements (such as the Igbo Must Go hashtag and call by a certain ‘Lagospedia’ X(Twitter) handle) and videos seen online.”

The South East caucus noted that the dangerous ethnic profiling is unwarranted, and must stop, stressing that it was such profiling that led to the millions of deaths in Nigeria from the 1950’s to the unfortunate civil war in 1967 to 1970.

“Elsewhere in Africa, it led to the genocide in Rwanda and the xenophobia in South Africa. Such should not be our fate again in Nigeria.

“We demand therefore that the security agencies bring to book the purveyors of these hate speeches in line with the cybercrimes act and criminal laws of the country.

“We continue to appeal to Igbos across the country to stay away from the protests, and remain law-abiding,” the statement said.