Protests: South-East NASS caucus want promoters of ethnic profiling prosecuted

August 2, 2024

The leaders of the South East Caucus in the National Assembly on Friday warned against ongoing ethnic profiling against Igbos in Lagos State.

The warning was jointly issued by the Leader of the South East Senate Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Leader of South East Cause in the House of Representatives, Hon. Igariwey Iduma Enwo via a joint statement titled: ‘State of the Nation: Position of the South East Caucus of the National Assembly on the Ethnic profiling of Igbos against the background of the mass protests across the country’, obtained by Saturday Tribune.

The lawmakers who frowned at the ugly development, called on authorities of relevant Security Agencies to arrest and prosecute promoters of Ethnic profiling in line with extant Cybercrime Act and criminal laws, just as they harped on the need to provide safety for all Igbos in Lagos State.

The statement reads: “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 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.

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“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,” the Caucus’ Leaders urged.

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