“Demolitions in Lagos is not targeted at Igbo” – Ohanaeze Ndigbo

The leading Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo refutes reports concerning building demolitions by the Lagos State Government allegedly targeted at Igbo residents in the state.

This response came in the wake of public reactions to the demolition activities carried out by the state government at Alaba International Market in the Ojo Local Government Area.

Gbolahan Oki, the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, had previously announced that some buildings slated for demolition had been issued quit notices since 2016.

However, criticisms arose, claiming that the decision was specifically targeted at Igbo individuals within the market.

In response, the spokesperson for Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Alex Ogbonnia, released a statement on Saturday stating that the organization had conducted investigations into the matter and uncovered the true facts.

Ogbonnia further mentioned that Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, urged calm among the Igbo occupants of the market while calling upon the state government and the state’s Environment and Development Authority to approach the demolition exercise with prudence and a clear objective.

The statement partly read, “The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been drawn to several fake publications circulating on social media alleging a decision by the Lagos State Government to take actions to victimize the Igbo citizens domiciled in Lagos. Since the disturbing news broke out, we have made investigations in order to establish the true state of affairs.”