Okechukwu Isiguzoro, a prominent member of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the foremost Igbo socio-cultural organization, emphasized on Saturday the need for Igbos to gradually withdraw and redirect their businesses to the South-East. This statement came in response to a widely circulated online video dated February 1, 2024, depicting helpless Igbo traders at the Trinity spare parts market in Apapa, Lagos, expressing their frustration over the inability to salvage their goods.
Describing the situation as disheartening, Isiguzoro conveyed that the organization is meticulously documenting the systematic demolition of Igbo-populated markets in Lagos State, closely observing the distinct pattern of these demolitions.
The factional Secretary General of Ohanaeze, in a released statement, criticized the deployment of state machinery against peaceful Igbo traders in Lagos State. Isiguzoro asserted, “In light of these distressing events, Ndigbo must recognize that it is now time to gradually withdraw and redirect their businesses back home.”
He urged President Bola Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State to urgently intervene and prevent future demolitions. Isiguzoro stated, “The continuous targeting of Igbo traders and their businesses under the guise of development is unacceptable. Ohanaeze Ndigbo implores Igbo traders to relocate the headquarters of their businesses to Igbo land to avoid further complications arising from future market demolitions. We fervently urge President Tinubu and the Governor of Lagos State to demonstrate true leadership by intervening decisively to protect the rights and interests of all citizens, regardless of their ethnicity.”