Senators and House of Representatives members from South-eastern states have called on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to arrest social media handlers circulating the #IgboMustGo campaign under the Cybercrime Act.
The campaign, which gained traction during the #EndBadGovernance protests, advocates for the forced relocation of Igbo people from Lagos and other South-west states within a month.
In a joint statement, Senate Leader Enyinnaya Abaribe and House Leader Igariwey Enwo condemned the campaign, warning that such ethnic profiling led to the Nigerian civil war, Rwandan genocide, and South African xenophobia.
They urged security agencies to arrest those spreading hate speech and bring them to book under the Cybercrimes Act and criminal laws.
The lawmakers stated, “This dangerous ethnic profiling is unwarranted and must stop. We demand that security agencies bring to book the purveyors of these hate speeches… Such should not be our fate again in Nigeria.”
This call comes after threats and intimidation against Igbos in Lagos during and after the 2023 presidential election. The lawmakers’ demand aims to prevent further escalation of ethnic tensions and promote national unity.
