The Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has described threat by detained Eze Igbo of Ajao Estate, Fredrick Nwajagu to import members of the Indigenous People of Biafra as a joke, similar to that of Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo ahead of the just-concluded poll.
Oluomo had told Igbos not willing to cast their votes for the All Progressives Congress candidates to steer clear of polling units or risk attacks.
The threat of the Chairman of the State Parks and Garages Committee was attended by criticism hurled at him, prompting him to retract himself and claimed he was only joking with an Igbo female friend.
Nwajagu on his part, following multiple fire incidents recorded in some market places populated by Igbos which gave rise to suspicion that it was orchestrated by anti-Igbo elements threatened to invite IPOB to the State to stem the tide.
Since the threat, the Eze Igbo has lost his freedom; picked up and is in detention at Ikoyi custodial facility at the behest of a Lagos Magistrates’ Court where he is standing trial for conspiracy and breach of public peace.
Ohanaeze through its Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, on Monday said the detainee was not serious about the IPOB threat, entreating the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to facilitate his release before coming May.
Isiguzoro made this remark by a statement he issued.
It reads, The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo is still worried that a traditional ruler, Nze-Igbo, in Lagos State, who was only cracking jokes, has not been released.
“He has told us through his emissary that he was only cracking a joke, and we want to tell the governor of Lagos State and the President-elect that Igbos are begging on behalf of Eze-Igbo that they should facilitate his release because he was only cracking a joke like MC Oluomo.
“Igbos were asked to support Sanwo-Olu after much consultations with Umahi, Ikpeazu, and Wike, who said it’s in Igbos’ interest to support Sanwo-Olu, so in the light of the foregoing, Sanwo-Olu should start the national healing process by facilitating Nze-Igbo’s release who has been abandoned in detention and has confirmed that he just cracked a joke.
“IPOB does not exist in the Southwest; they are only in the Southeast. There is no way IPOB will go to the Southwest to cause havoc. If the police can forgive MC Oluomo because what he said was a joke, then they should release Eze-Igbo because it’s a joke, he should not remain in detention till May.
“We are pleading for Asiwaju and Sanwo-Olu to intervene in the spirit of national reconciliation that the traditional ruler should be released.”
