The South-East Caucus of the National Assembly has frowned at the ethnic profiling of the Igbo people of the Southeast Nigeria for not to join the ongoing nationwide protest.
Nigerians, mostly youths having been protesting against hardship, hunger and bad governance since August 1.
However, people from the five states of the Southeast region decided to shun the protest, a development that did not go down well with some, triggering an ethnic profiling of the Igbos.
Explaining why the Igbos did not take part in the protest, the federal lawmakers from the Southeast said the Igbos abstained following an advisory from Ohanaeze Ndigbo, governors of Southeastern states, parliamentarians, and business leaders.
The Caucus said despite the stance of the Igbos, it was surprised and disappointed that the race was still made scapegoats and targeted as instigators of the protests, as shown in several statements, such as the ‘Igbo Must Go’ hashtag and call by a certain ‘Lagospedia’ X handle and other videos seen online.
In a statement jointly signed by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, leader of the Southeast senate caucus of the national assembly, and Rt. Hon. Igariwey Iduma Enwo, leader of the Southeast Caucus of the House of Representatives on Friday, the Southeast national assembly caucuses said: “The attention of the Southeast 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 on-going 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. This dangerous ethnic profiling is unwarranted, and must stop.
“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.”
