ASITU urges President Tinubu to stop the demolition of Igbo-owned properties in Lagos, warning that selective enforcement threatens national unity
ASITU has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and halt the ongoing demolition of properties owned by Igbo people in Lagos State.
Also read: ADC Blames Tinubu for Nigeria’s Security Crisis
The Association of Igbo Town Unions (ASITU), speaking from Umuahia, called on the Federal Government, the Minister of Works and Housing, and the Attorney-General of the Federation to prevail on the Lagos State Government to adopt what it described as a “sense of brotherhood” in its dealings with affected property owners.
ASITU President, Chief Emeka Diwe, described the demolitions as a threat to inter-ethnic harmony and national cohesion.
“The relationship between the Igbo and Yoruba people has been one of the defining features of Nigerian history — sometimes cooperative, sometimes competitive, but always deeply intertwined,” Diwe said. “We must not allow this demolition issue to poison and demolish that relationship.”
He warned that Nigeria was “dying slowly from the cancer of ethnic discrimination, selective justice, constitutional violations, and the erosion of trust between citizens and government.”
“These demolitions must stop,” he added. “The pattern of selective enforcement must end.”
ASITU maintained that the targeted Igbo properties were not illegal structures or temporary shanties but legitimate investments built through years of hard work.
“These are life investments,” the statement read. “Plazas where mothers sell to feed their children, warehouses where young men store goods for their families, and shops where dreams of prosperity are nurtured with sweat and prayer.”
Also read: Presidency Defends Tinubu’s Clemency Review
The group urged President Tinubu to take swift, fair, and compassionate action to prevent the situation from escalating into ethnic tension, calling the moment a test of leadership and unity.
