The Looming Xenophobic Attack On Igbos In Lagos

By Chukwudi OHIRI

Nigerians (not excluding myself) and their leaders have this penchant for crying when the head is already off. Nipping impending catastrophes in the board doesn’t seem to be anywhere in our Dictionaries and that is why learning from history does not ring a bell in our ‘to do list’. If we ever had such a culture, perhaps we wouldn’t be spending the nation’s scarce human and financial resources executing the war on terrorism in the North Eastern Part of Nigeria today. From the embryonic stage, the Boko Haram menace would have been quietly and swiftly curbed without much ado.  

We were all witnesses to how an unguarded comment by the Zulu king in South Africa sparked off an inferno that is yet to be fully controlled. Many innocent lives were lost on both sides while properties worth millions of dollars were destroyed in the aftermath of the fracas that ensued. While that crisis was still raging, the Oba of Lagos issued a threat to Igbos living in Lagos on how they must exercise their electoral franchise or face extinction. Months after, no commission of enquiry or any form of investigation panel was at least set up in our characteristic manner (even if nothing comes out of it in the end as usual) to ascertain the veracity of the allegation. No reprimands from both the federal or State government was heard or publicised till date. Instead, defence and counter-defence has been the main preoccupation of so many well-meaning individuals and groups from both ends.

Last week, a group of Yoruba youths under the aegis of Oodua Nationalist Coalition, (ONAC) and the Pan-Yoruba National Alliance, (PAYNA ) took to the streets of Lagos, in protest against Igbo-Speaking residents whom they allege, are propagating a notion of Lagos as ‘No man’s land’. They openly threatened that such campaigns will be fervently resisted. “This is a symbolic rally to warn against the assault on Yoruba heritage. We are sick of people (who) trample on our heritage even though they make their millions on our territory” one of the leaders of the group, Mr Araoye Akinwunmi reportedly told the crowd which allegedly gathered at the entrance of Emzor pharmaceutical company located on Aswani Road, Isolo area of Lagos.

Armed with flyers and placards with different inscriptions such as ‘Igbo people, respect our Oba, our culture or we kick you out’; ‘Lagos (Eko) is not no man’s land’; Yoruba own Lagos, create ya own Lagos in Igboland, No dispute; Igbo, stop attack on Yoruba culture’ etc., the angry protesters distributed their flyers to passers-by with a warning thus: Yoruba “will no longer accept the conscious attempt to turn us into slaves on our own land.”

It was gathered that the protest lasted for several hours without interruption as the irate crowd prevented workers and clients of the Emzor Pharmaceutical Company from gaining entrance into the vast premises. (For clarity, Emzor Pharmaceutical Company is a company owned by an Igbo business mogul in Lagos). The protesters reportedly claimed that the protest was a retaliatory protest taken in part, to protest the attempt to distort the history of Lagos and also as “a mark of proportional response to an alleged siege laid by Igbos on the business outfit of one Dr Ariyo Adeniran, a renowned cardiologist whose outfit was allegedly being picketed by Igbos in Dallas, Texas in the United States”.

Evil they say, thrives when good people stand aloof and do nothing about it. When impunity lasts long, it becomes a tradition. Perhaps, because the Oba of Lagos issued his threat which nearly ignited a physical xenophobic war and till date, no modicum of admonition came to him, these youths also began their open hate campaign without condemnation. This is how, little by little violence is brewed and nurtured.

The government at both the federal and state level, well-meaning Yorubas and Igbos leaders must rise up to condemn the unnecessary show of shame in a country where we claim to be one people. If the Dallas allegations are confirmed to be true, the Igbos in the Diaspora and at home must stand up to say an emphatic ‘NO’ to xenophobia in any form.

The truth is that if the embers of hatred are fanned aflame, there will be casualties from both parties. Who knows how it will affect him or her, directly or indirectly. That is why this smouldering fire of xenophobia must be nipped in the bud before more groups regroup to turn the push into shove. When two Brothers fight, Strangers always reap the harvest'. He who decides to play with the dogs should not keep his thread and needle far away. Xenophobia is looming and there seems to be no conscious attempt to forestall it. Already, the social media war on the subject matter is raging and if not abated, they might creep out to full blown catastrophe.