Following his continued detention, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo socio-political organization, on Monday, said the Eze Igbo of Ajao Estate, Fredrick Nwajagu, was cracking a joke over his comment inviting the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to Lagos State.
To this end, Ohanaeze’s Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, urged the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and Governor Babjide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State to facilitate Nwajagu’s release.
Isiguzoro said Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu should facilitate Nwajagu’s release in the interest of national unity and reconciliation.
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Recall that Nwajagu was arrested after the 2023 governorship election because he invited IPOB over to Lagos State following the attacks on Igbo-populated markets in the state.
Despite several appeals, the Eze-Igbo has not been released until weeks after the election.
However, Isiguzoro said Nwajagu only cracked a joke like former Lagos State National Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW Chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya, better called MC Oluomo, did during the election.
Speaking with DAILY POST, Isiguzoro said: “The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo is still worried that a traditional ruler, Nze-Igbo, in Lagos State, who was only cracking jokes, has not been released.
“He has told us through his emissary that he was only cracking a joke, and we want to tell the governor of Lagos State and the President-elect that Igbos are begging on behalf of Eze-Igbo that they should facilitate his release because he was only cracking a joke like MC Oluomo.
“Igbos were asked to support Sanwo-Olu after much consultations with Umahi, Ikpeazu, and Wike, who said it’s in Igbos’ interest to support Sanwo-Olu, so in the light of the foregoing, Sanwo-Olu should start the national healing process by facilitating Nze-Igbo’s release who has been abandoned in detention and has confirmed that he just cracked a joke.
“IPOB does not exist in the Southwest; they are only in the Southeast. There is no way IPOB will go to the Southwest to cause havoc. If the police can forgive MC Oluomo because what he said was a joke, then they should release Eze-Igbo because it’s a joke, he should not remain in detention till May. We are pleading for Asiwaju and Sanwo-Olu to intervene in the spirit of national reconciliation that the traditional ruler should be released.”