Afenifere
By Dapo Akinrefon & Dirisu Yakubu
Yoruba and Igbo leaders, under the auspices of Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo respectively, have invoked curse on those who attacked protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos on Tuesday, which led to mayhem in Lagos.
They also frowned at the attempt by some people to use the fallout of the shooting to put a wedge between the Yoruba and Igbo.
Some men in uniform had, on Tuesday, fired gunshots at the protesters at the Lekki toll gate who were demanding an end to police brutality in Nigeria.
In the ensuing stampede, many of the demonstrators, operating under the aegis of #EndSARS, were reportedly injured and others killed.
The Nigerian Army immediately denied deploying soldiers to attack the protesters in an attempt to enforce the curfew imposed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to quell the protests which had been hijacked in some parts of Lagos and a police station burnt.
The Lekki attack later degenerated into full blown mayhem in the former Nigerian capital during which some business interests linked to a Yoruba leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, were attacked.
Some Yoruba elements accused some Igbo youths of being behind the attacks, saying they were designed to cripple Yoruba businesses.
Invoking a curse on the Lekki attackers in a statement signed by Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, and Ohanaeze President General, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, yesterday, the Yoruba and Igbo leaders said: “The blood of those young ones will pursue their killers and those who ordered them to the gate of justice”.
They also appealed to the Yoruba and Igbo to continue to live together in peace and harmony and not to allow divisive elements to put a wedge between them.
The statement titled, ‘Afenifere and Ohanaeze say no to wilful destruction’, reads: “”The leaders of Afenifere and Ohanaeze jointly commiserate with all the families who lost dear ones in the Tuesday bloody massacre in Lekki, Lagos.
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“The blood of these young ones will pursue their killers and those who ordered them to the gate of justice.
“One fallout of the massacre was the looting and burning spree all over the city.
“We do not endorse arson as responsible organizations and we call for a stop of the orgies.
We have also noted the divisive attempt to use the violence to put a wedge between Yoruba and Igbo and destroy the new understanding we have built in the last three years.
“We reject this devilish attempt and ask the police to investigate and arraign suspected perpetrators of the violence. The essence of law and order is for individual citizens to answer for their actions. it is where law enforcement is weak that you begin to cast ethnic slur when crimes are committed instead of holding the perpetrators.
“We appeal to our peoples to continue to live together in peace and harmony and not allow divisive elements to put a wedge between them.
Vanguard
