The Association of Igbo Town Unions (ASITU) has petitioned international human rights bodies over the continued demolition of shops and properties belonging to Igbo traders and investors in Lagos State.
Addressing journalists in Umuahia, National President of ASITU, Chief Emeka Diwe, said the group had submitted petitions to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Diwe described the demolitions as “economic cleansing,” alleging that Nigeria was “dying slowly from the cancer of ethnic discrimination and selective justice.”
He said the decision to approach international institutions followed repeated but unsuccessful attempts to engage relevant Nigerian authorities.
“We have done this not because we lack faith in Nigerian institutions, but because those institutions have failed to address our documented grievances,” he said.
ASITU rejected claims by the Lagos State Government that the affected structures were built on waterways, insisting that the properties were legally acquired and had valid approvals.
READ ALSO:
“They send a message to investors that property rights in Nigeria are not secure and that ethnic sentiments may influence government actions,” Diwe said, warning that such actions could undermine investor confidence and economic growth.
The group also alleged that demolition notices were often issued with little time for property owners to seek legal redress, and that officials ignored valid documentation presented by affected persons.
“This is not law enforcement; it is the erasure of livelihoods and the violation of constitutional guarantees meant to protect all Nigerians,” ASITU stated.
While urging affected property owners to remain peaceful and law-abiding, the association called on the Igbo business community to reinvest in the South-East to strengthen the region’s economic base.
“To the Igbo business community, do not be discouraged. Embrace the philosophy of Aku Ruo Ulo—let wealth return home,” Diwe advised.
He clarified that the group’s demand for justice was not a call for secession, but a push for economic resilience, mutual respect, and national unity.