The Igbo National Union Worldwide (INU-W) has issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Lagos State Government and appealed to the Federal Government to intervene over what it calls a continuing spree of demolitions targeting Igbo-owned businesses and properties in Lagos. The union said the demolitions and the perceived silence of federal authorities and prominent Yoruba leaders risk inflaming ethnic tensions and undermining national harmony if not urgently checked.
In a statement signed by its Administrative Secretary, Mazi Austin-Mary Ndukwu, INU-W accused the Lagos State Government of pursuing a “dangerous agenda” that disproportionately affects Igbo entrepreneurs, warning that the destruction of livelihoods is being viewed by many as deliberate economic displacement. The union said the demolitions have caused “anguish and despair” among Ndigbo living in Lagos.
INU-W urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other influential Yoruba figures to order, insisting the federal government must act to halt what the union described as “lopsided and discriminatory demolitions.” The union warned that continued inaction would embolden the trend and could “snowball into a total breakdown of law and order.”
The union has given Lagos authorities 30 days to open meaningful dialogue with affected property owners and reach amicable settlements. INU-W said failure to engage within that window would compel it to consider “appropriate and lawful steps in defence of our people’s dignity and economic survival.”
INU-W’s statement also warned against ethnicising the issue, reminding the Yoruba nation that no group holds a monopoly on peace or power and recalling historical hardships suffered by the Igbo. The union said it will not be “driven out of Lagos unjustly” but stressed it prefers peaceful resolution while keeping options open if the situation persists.
Reaction in the media and public sphere has been mixed. Some commentators and groups have criticised the demolitions as heavy-handed and possibly ethnically selective, while others argue that enforcement of land-use and planning laws sometimes exposes irregularities that predate the current exercise. The topic has prompted calls from other Igbo leaders for federal intervention and wider public debate on how demolitions are conducted.
What to watch next: INU-W’s 30-day deadline and whether Lagos State responds with negotiations or clarifications; any formal intervention or directive from the Presidency; and statements from community leaders that could either calm or escalate tensions. I will keep the piece neutral and can create a short social-media version (headline + caption + suggested hashtags) if you want to post this on Instagram or your news feed.
Comments
Post a Comment