By Ikenna Orioha
As the ethnic profiling: harassment, killings and wanton destruction of Igbos’ lives and properties in Yoruba land, particularly Lagos State, highten, a deeply rooted socio-cultural group, Igbo National Union World-wide (INU-W), has urged Igbos in all Yoruba lands to relocate home as a safe gradual phased exit site or territory had been mapped out.
INU-W outlined that this phased withdrawal will start in December 2025 through February 2027, saying INU-W will notify the Igbo on how the relocation will be carried out through the people’s well organized State and Town Unions, both home and Lagos State, including other states in Nigeria where Igbos are not safe, advising Igbos to always remember that enmity and hatred are not cured, warning that any Igbo who does not want to leave is at liberty to do so, but to his or her own risk.
The group said Igbos are going through unwanted excruciating pains in the hands of Yoruba people and with the federal government keeping dead silence despite their impact to the social development/economic advancement of Yoruba land – especially Lagos State.
The group made this urge through its Admin Secretary, Mazi Austin- Mary Ndukwu, in a statement he signed and issued to the media on Wednesday.
Ndukwu regretted that despite the 30 days Olive Branch extended to the Lagos State Government at the wake of the demolitions by INU-W, to evenly pacify Igbo traders whose shops and properties he said were demolished and had expired without any peaceful dialogue or gratification to those affected, destruction of of Igbo properties has continued including the uninvestigated mysterious fire outbreaks in many markets majorly occupied by Igbos.
The group accused Yoruba elites, including the wife of President Tinubu, Oluremi Tinubu, Governor of Lagos State, Sanwo-Olu, SA to Tinubu on Strategy and Media, Bayo Onanuga, of killing, harassment, destruction of Igbo properties and their forceful exit from Yoruba land.
“The ongoing demolition and destruction targeted at Ndigbo is a sign by the Yoruba nation to our people to vacate their region (not only in Lagos State, but the entire Yoruba land).
“It has now come to the open, the decades of sethed hatred and animosity against Ndigbo by Yoruba ethnic nationality since independence and the present unprovoked hatred has been taken to another level with more provocations, harassment, killings and wanton destruction of Igbo lives and properties in Yoruba land.
“To avoid a repeat of the 1966 pogrom and the 1993 June 12 attacks on Igbos (christened Oso Abiola), NU-W has mapped out a gradual phased exit and relocation of our people out of Lagos back to Igbo land and safer territories.
“To Igbo Governors, Politicians, Traditional and Religious Leaders, PGs of Town Unions, this is the time to stand up with the people by creating enabling business and habitable environment to these brothers and sisters coming back home.
“This once again is a great opportunity for you, our leaders, to demonstrate leadership, love and Igbo patriotism of Onyeaghala Nwanne Ya, to our brave and resolute returnees”, Ndukwu stated.
