Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Amidst growing public outcry against the perceived persecution of Igbo living in Lagos in the aftermath of the general elections, the Nigeria Police Force, in what many see as half-hearted attempt to save its face, has challenged anyone with evidence that the Chairman of the Lagos State Parks and Garages Association, Musiliu Akinsaya, popularly known as Mc Oluomo, attacked the Igbo, to present same.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, gave the challenge while reacting to Twitter users condemning the selective prosecution of Eze Igbo in Lagos, Chief Nwajagu for allegedly threatening to invite members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to protect Igbo interests in Lagos.
There have been calls for the police to also arrest and prosecute Oluomo for threatening Igbos before the election and the carrying out his threats.
Adejobi made this known in his response to a Twitter user, AjammaS, via his Twitter handle on Tuesday morning.
One of the critics, a Twitter user, AjammaS, said the police failed to protect voters during the election after dismissing Oluomo’s threat against Igbo as a joke.
Criticising the Force PPRO, AjammaS wrote: “Sir, you are also guilty, if I may say. This is what you said in the TV interview, and I quote. ‘MC Oluomo threat is a joke, let’s take it as a joke until he perfected [sic] the threat. I urge everyone to go out and cast their votes.”
“Now Nigerians heeded your calls and went out to cast their votes and unfortunately you failed to protect them as you promised. They were attacked by MC Oluomo and his boys, some were murdered, brutalised, blinded, some are currently receiving treatment in different hospitals.”
Responding, the Force PPRO asked the Twitter user to file an attack case against Oluomo if he had evidence of attacks against him, adding that Oluomo has no immunity.
“You can take the case of attack up with MC if you have a case or evidence of attacks against him. Many people and lawyers, even the deputy gov of Lagos, have said it severally. He has no immunity, so if you have a case of attack against him, take it up.”
“There is no need to pass judgement or do trial on Twitter. Very simple. Many of you just follow others to raise this issue on Twitter.”
Similarly, reacting to the video on Channels TV, Adejobi said, “I saw a video of MC Oluomo with one Mama Chidinma – an Igbo woman – debunking that threat; that it’s not true, it’s just a joke he was making with a particular woman. So, let us take it as a joke, like he said.
“But, nobody has the right and audacity to tell Nigerians not to come out and vote; it’s not allowed and not proper. MC Oluomo has come out to debunk it, so let’s leave it that it’s not true. The Commissioner of Police in Lagos has debunked it and MC Oluomo himself has done the same, so Lagosians should go out and vote for the candidate of their choice.”
“The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, had said that MC Oluomo, a staunch supporter of the APC, and the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, must be arrested and prosecuted if found guilty of breaking the law during the just-concluded elections in the state.”
