The leadership of the Association of Igbo Town Unions (ASITU) has urgently petitioned the United Nations (UN) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to address the alleged systematic demolition of Igbo-owned properties by the Lagos State Government.
According to the group, this action was necessitated by the failure of domestic institutions in Nigeria to address these grievances and prevent ongoing ravages against hardworking Igbo patriots in Lagos. In a press statement signed on Saturday, Chief Emeka Diwe, National President of ASITU, condemned 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 highlighted that the demolition of trading plazas at Ebute Ero Market on Friday, February 14, 2025, by Lagos State agents is a calculated expropriation of Igbo businesses, representing an assault on justice, equality, and fundamental property rights.
Chief Diwe emphasized that these properties were legally built with the authorization of the same government now orchestrating their destruction. He further condemned the continued selective demolition targeting Igbo-owned properties, calling it reminiscent of historical injustices faced by the Igbo people in Nigeria.
ASITU has petitioned international bodies, including the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), and the ECOWAS Court of Justice, to intervene and hold the Lagos State Government accountable for these actions. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also been called upon to document and amplify the plight of the Igbo people.
“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 calls on Ndigbo in the diaspora to embrace the Aku Ruo Ulo investment initiative to repatriate investments to Igboland and unlock the region’s potential.
The international community is urged to take notice and act against the systematic dispossession of an ethnic group under the guise of governance.
