Igbo Group Begs Tinubu to End Lagos Demolition of Igbo Properties

• The Association of Igbo Town Unions (ASITU) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and halt the ongoing demolition of properties owned by Igbos in Lagos State.

The Association of Igbo Town Unions (ASITU) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and halt the ongoing demolition of properties owned by Igbos in Lagos State, warning that the action risks fuelling ethnic tensions and undermining national unity.

The Association of Igbo Town Unions (ASITU) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene and stop the demolition of properties belonging to Igbos across Lagos State.

In a statement released in Umuahia, ASITU 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 halt the demolitions and show a sense of brotherhood toward affected property owners.

ASITU President, Chief Emeka Diwe, warned that the demolitions risk poisoning the historic relationship between the Igbo and Yoruba communities — a relationship he described as “one of the defining features of Nigerian history.”

“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. We must not allow this demolition issue to poison and demolish that relationship,” Chief Diwe said.

The union decried what it called selective enforcement and ethnic discrimination, adding:

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“Nigeria is 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.”

ASITU emphasised that the properties being destroyed are not abandoned shanties but long-standing investments—plazas, warehouses and shops—where families earn their livelihoods. The group urged federal intervention to protect those assets and prevent further social and economic harm.

“These are life investments: plazas where mothers sell to feed their children, warehouses where young men store goods for their families, shops where dreams of prosperity are nurtured with sweat and prayer,” the union said.

ASITU asked President Tinubu to use his office to foster dialogue between the affected communities and the Lagos State authorities, stressing that national cohesion depends on equal protection under the law.