ADF condemns killing of Igbo traders in Ladipo Lagos; Calls for sanction of perpetrators
A group, Alaigbo Development Foundation(ADF) has condemned in strong terms the alleged killing of Igbo traders at the popular Ladipo spare parts market in Lagos.
The group, which described the “cold-blooded killing in broad daylight” of the traders as “a continuation of the Igbo genocide,” called on the authorities to investigate the incident, prosecute the military personnel involved and sanction them according to the law.
Full text of the statement:
ADF CONDEMNS KILLING OF IGBO TRADERS IN LAGOS
The Alaigbo Development Foundation(ADF) is horrified by the cold-blooded killing in broad daylight of three Igbo traders on Tuesday, 13th July, 2021 by a Military Officer and his personnel at the Ladipo Market in Lagos.
2. An unnamed Military Officer was said to have gone to the market to return a spare-part which he bought but could not work. As he and his boys were about leaving the market, the gatemen demanded the payment of #200 gate pass. The soldiers, who were in mufti refused to pay and a quarrel between them and the traders resulted into a fight.
3. The army officer, having felt humiliated went for reinforcement and brought armed military personnel to the scene who started shooting at the traders and three of them were instantly murdered.
4. ADF condemns the killings and the brutal display of naked impunity which led to the ugly incident.
5. We urge the Nigerian Government to investigate the dastardly killings and bring the erring Military Officer and his personnel to face the law of the land.
6. We see this brutal killing of innocent Igbo citizens as a continuation of the Igbo genocide which always targets Ndigbo and subjects them to instalmental annihilation by Nigeria’s trigger happy security operatives or recruited vagabonds, miscreants, bandits or terrorists.
7.The Igbo genocide which began in the precolonial period, in parts of Northern Nigeria, precisely in 1937 (Katsina Railway Riots), 1948 (Jos Riots), 1953 (Kano Riots), and elsewhere and reached its nadir during the fratricidal Nigeria-Biafra civil war is characterized by conspiratorial tendencies to embark on the gruesome elimination of Ndigbo at the slightest provocation, either through anti-Igbo riots, organised killing fields or orchestrated shooting incidents such as the recent one in the Ladipo Market in Lagos.
8.It is regrettable that the Igbo genocide has become the longest, most sustained and most continuous genocide in the history of the African continent and the world in general, and has remained unresolved till date.
Abia Onyike,
ADF Spokesman.
