Igbo Town Unions Petition UN, ECOWAS Court Over Lagos Property Demolitions

The Association of Igbo Town Unions (ASITU) has petitioned the United Nations Human Rights Council, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the ECOWAS Court of Justice over the continued demolition of shops and properties belonging to Igbo traders and investors in Lagos.

Speaking in Umuahia, ASITU National President, Chief Emeka Diwe, condemned the demolitions as an act of “economic cleansing,” describing them as symptoms of “a country dying slowly from the cancer of ethnic discrimination and selective justice.”

Flanked by executive members from different Igbo communities, Diwe said the petition followed several unsuccessful attempts to engage Nigerian authorities on the issue. “We have done this not because we lack faith in Nigerian institutions, but because those institutions have failed to address our documented grievances,” he explained.

ASITU rejected the Lagos State Government’s claim that the affected structures were built on waterways, insisting that most of the demolished properties were legally acquired and duly approved. Diwe warned that such actions send a dangerous signal to investors that property rights in Nigeria are insecure and could be influenced by ethnic bias. “This undermines investor confidence, economic growth, job creation, and Nigeria’s reputation as a country governed by the rule of law,” he said.

The group alleged that demolition notices were often issued with little or no time for property owners to seek legal redress, and that valid documentation was frequently ignored by officials. “Many of the demolished buildings had valid approvals from the same Lagos State Government that later destroyed them,” ASITU said. “This is not law enforcement; it is the erasure of livelihoods and a violation of constitutional guarantees meant to protect all Nigerians.”

Diwe urged affected property owners to remain peaceful while encouraging Igbo entrepreneurs to reinvest in the South-East to strengthen the region’s economy. “To the Igbo business community, do not be discouraged. Embrace the philosophy of *Aku Ruo Ulo*—let wealth return home,” he said. “Build industries and invest in Igboland so that our homeland becomes an economic powerhouse that commands respect and security.”

He emphasized that the union’s actions were not driven by separatist motives but by a desire to ensure justice, economic resilience, and mutual respect among Nigeria’s diverse communities.