…Condemns DSS, Police, Military’s ‘apartheid operational modus operandi against Ndigbo’

A civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Sunday, faulted the arrest of the Eze Igbo of Ajao Estate in Lagos State, Chief Fredrick Nwajagu, by the Department of State Services (DSS).

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, also slammed the secret police and the Nigeria Police Force for their deliberate actions of not arresting some of the foot soldiers of the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu, who said vile and abominable things before, during and after the 2023 general elections, thereby triggering tribal attacks against Ndigbo resident in the state.

HURIWA said it was shocking and a display of double standards that while Musiliu Akinsanya (aka MC Oluomo), Bayo Onanuga and Femi Fani-Kayode were allowed to continue spewing ethnically-inciting and verbally-putrid statements against Igbos in Lagos, the DSS was quick to arrest Eze Igbo who defended his people.

The group said the whole world watched in horrific shock as Igbos were massively attacked and assaulted at polling units across Lagos State on February 25 and on March 18 during the general elections because of their overwhelming support for the candidates of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, respectively.

Igbo-dominated areas like Amuwo Odofin, Alaba in Ojo local government, amongst others, were seriously attacked which hampered the result of the Labour Party candidate.

Since the verbal war had been declared on Ndigbo in Lagos by MC Oluomo, Onanuga and FFK, Igbo traders have suffered loss of good worth billions of naira to suspected burning of their market bases like the burnt Olowu spare parts market where shops filled with air-conditioners for sale, parts of vehicles, and motorcycles, among others, were burnt by suspected arsonists.

Recall that a similar fire incident occurred three weeks after the touching of the Akere Spare Parts Market on Kirikiri Road, Olodi-Apapa in Ajegunle.

This case was even crystal clear that it was an arson as the security guard was shot dead in the market.

HURIWA, in its statement said: “It is alarming that the DSS, Police, and army have been very biased against Ndigbo of Nigeria since Bola Ahmed Tinubu was controversially returned as President-elect by a grossly ethically-challenged INEC.

“The arrest of the Eze Igbo in Lagos, failure to arrest MC Oluomo and Bayo Onanuga, FFK who made clear threats against Ndigbo are incontrovertible evidence of a prejudicial security system.

“Also, the excessive partisanship of the National Broadcasting Commission in favour of Tinubu and its extreme anti-media freedom dictatorship is so undemocratic and condemnable. We, however, encourage media houses not to give up the struggle to maintain plurality of view in their broadcasting and encourage them to go to court and challenge the unconstitutional conducts of the politically-tainted NBC.

“HURIWA will be writing a very powerful letter to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, demanding visa ban on enemies of free press and democracy.”