The leadership of the Association of Igbo Town Unions has filed an urgent petition with the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States over what it describes as the systematic demolition of Igbo-owned properties by the Lagos State Government.
According to ASITU, the petition was necessary due to the failure of Nigerian institutions to address grievances and stop the alleged destruction of properties owned by hardworking Igbo citizens in Lagos.
In a press statement signed on Saturday, Chief Emeka Diwe, National President of ASITU, strongly condemned what he called the systematic demolition of legally acquired Igbo properties, despite repeated appeals for fairness.
“The Association of Igbo Town Unions (ASITU) condemns in the strongest possible terms the ongoing, systematic demolition of lawfully acquired properties belonging to Igbo people in Lagos State,” stated Chief Diwe.
He noted that the demolition of trading plazas at Ebute Ero Market on Friday, February 14, 2025, by Lagos State agents was a deliberate move to dispossess Igbo business owners and a violation of fundamental property rights.
Chief Diwe further stated that these properties were legally acquired and built with government approval, only to be destroyed by the same authorities.
He accused the Lagos State Government of selectively targeting Igbo-owned properties, drawing parallels with past injustices suffered by the Igbo people in Nigeria.
ASITU has escalated its complaint to international bodies, including the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), and the ECOWAS Court of Justice, urging them to hold the Lagos State Government accountable.
,?mThe group has also sought the intervention of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to document and expose the alleged injustices.
“This is not just a legal battle—it is a fight for justice, dignity, and equal citizenship in a country that belongs to all Nigerians,” added Chief Diwe.
ASITU also called on Igbo people in the diaspora to embrace the Aku Ruo Ulo investment initiative, urging them to redirect their investments to Igboland to unlock the region’s economic potential.
The international community has been urged to take immediate action to prevent the continued targeting of an ethnic group under the guise of governance.
