Sequel to a 49-second video shared on Twitter on Friday, threatening to invite members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra to secure the properties of Igbo people in the state Eze ndIgbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos, Fredrick Nwajagu, has been arrested.
Nwajagu was nabbed during a midnight raid by the Nigeria Police and Department of State Services (DSS) in the early hours of Saturday after security operatives stormed his palace in Ajao Estate earlier Saturday morning but noticed that Nwajiagu had already fled. He was later traced to a hotel in Ejigbo where he was apprehended.
It was learned that the team stormed his palace but he fled; he was eventually traced to a hotel in Ejigbo and arrested at 1:00 am., and he is currently in the custody of the DSS.
It will be recalled that Nwajagu on Friday vowed to invite members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to Lagos to secure properties of Igbo people in the state.
Nwajagu said the move became necessary in the wake of attacks on some Igbo people in the state.
The Igbo leader said he stood by his words, insisting that his people must take a stand in Lagos.
Reacting to the arrest, Okechukwu Nwagunma Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC stated I have no problem with the man being arrested by the DSS if indeed, he threatened to invite IPOB to Lagos.”
“But I have a problem with the fact that hoodlums and political thugs who issued threats and made good their threats and attacked Igbo people in Lagos have not first been arrested. This is ethnic discrimination in law enforcement.”
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives member-elect for Ideato North, South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere has called on the Department of State Services (DSS), to immediately release the Eze Igbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos, Fredrick Nwajagu, who was arrested in a midnight raid by the agency and the Nigeria Police over his comment of inviting IPOB to Lagos to protect the Igbos.
Ugochinyere in a statement called for his release, also called for the arrest of Lagos election violence promoters.
He recalled the intimidation and nefarious acts unleashed on Igbo people residing in Lagos state before and during elections.
“Are the security agencies now engaging in preferential treatment? Are the DSS and Police agencies for the protection of lives and properties of the people of Nigeria or are they only serving the interest of the ruling government? APC spokesman Bayo Onanuga, after the emergence of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the winner of the Lagos gubernatorial poll, threatened that Igbo should never interfere in Lagos politics. He later described Igbos as a threat to the Yorubas, yet he hasn’t been arrested.
However, the Igbo Council Of Ndieze “, has distanced itself from a recent trending viral video credited to Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, Eze Fredrick Nwajiagu, threatening to invite the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB, to secure the property of Igbo People in Lagos state.
The Chairman of Ndieze council, Eze Christopher Offia, expressed disappointment with the trending viral video.
Eze Offia, who spoke on behalf of the Council Of Ndieze in Lagos, condemned the action by Eze Nwajiagu, stating categorically that Eze Nwajiagu is not their member, adding that his group has nothing to do with the said trending viral video.
He said: ”The Council of Ndieze Ndigbo Lagos State hereby disassociate ourselves from Eze Frederick Nwajiagu’s (Eze Ndigbo Ajao Estate) threat to invite IPOB to Lagos.
“Frederick Nwajiagu is not our spokesman and he’s not representing Council of Ndieze Ndigbo Lagos State either.
Therefore, he should be held responsible and accountable for his actions.
“NDIEZE Members are law-abiding and hard-working people with legitimate means of living.
Peaceful co-existence among our landlords and chief hosts remains uppermost in our hearts and duty.
“On behalf of the Council of Ndieze Ndigbo Lagos State we strongly warn all Ndigbo in Lagos to be law abiding and go out for their normal business engagements, Eze Offia added.