The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has denounced a social media campaign calling for Igbo people to leave Lagos and the Southwest region of Nigeria.
The governor, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, condemned a post by the social media handle ‘@LagosPedia’ on X (formerly Twitter) threatening to launch an ‘#IgboMustGo’ protest from August 20th to 30th, 2024.
The account, which had about 42,000 followers on the microblogging platform, suddenly disappeared on Thursday.
Akosile distanced Governor Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State Government from what he termed “reckless, divisive and dangerous rhetoric” shared via the account.
He said Lagos remains home to all Nigerian citizens regardless of their ethnic background.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu views the post as not only reckless and divisive but an attempt to sow a seed of discord between the Yoruba in the Southwest and other tribes, especially those who have made Lagos their permanent place of abode.
“The Governor appeals to Lagosians not to allow any person or group of individuals to create tensions in the State, calling on the security agencies to promptly investigate those behind the handle and bring them to justice.
“Mr. Governor enjoins Lagosians to ignore the post and any post of that nature, promising to double his efforts towards ensuring lasting peace in the State,” Akosile stated.
In a recent address to Lagosians, Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke about the challenges facing the nation and the potential negative impact of the nationwide protests against “bad government” and economic hardship on the country.
He cautioned against actions that could undo progress and called for patience as economic reforms take effect under the Bola Tinubu administration.
Reflecting on the tragic events of the 2020 EndSARS protests, Sanwo-Olu reminded citizens of the destruction caused when peaceful demonstrations were hijacked by violent elements.
“We will NOT allow history repeat itself. During the protests, we saw the destruction of valuable properties and institutions: Lagos High Court, 45 police stations, 12 Local Government offices, 7 Fire Stations, and the Forensic Centre, among others,” he stated.
