Lagos spare market fire: Niger Delta activist Ozobo calls for probe, arrest, prosecution of culprits

Leading Niger Delta rights activist Comrade Ozobo Austin has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to carry out a detailed and discreet investigation into the mysterious fire that burnt down some parts of the Olowu Spare Parts Market in the Ikeja area of Lagos State on last week Thursday.

This was made available to the Congress correspondent in a statement by himself on Monday.

According to him, the traders affected were mainly Igbo traders, adding that masterminds are ethnic bigots who want to send Igbo packing from Lagos state.

Ozobo said Igbos and other peaceful and law-abiding Nigerians had the right to live in any part of the country, narrating that the incident was orchestrated to intimidate and harass Igbos and non-indigenes living in Lagos.

The rights advocate recalled a similar incident that befell Ijaw people in Lagos state in 1999/2001 where the OPC and Ijaw youths deep-neck in war fairs.

He said the OPC attempted to evict Ijaws from Lagos state without any provocation, but the Ijaws resisted it which led to the killing of many Ijaws in Lagos until late Bayelsa governor DSP Alamieyeseigha intervened to save the ugly situation.

“I have seen such moves because the Igbos and non-indigenes voted against Tinubu in the state. We operate a democratic system, people should be allowed to vote for candidates of their choice. It is not democratic to cow people to vote against their conscience,” he added.

Ozobo, however, called on President Muhammadu Buhari and all security authorities to swing into action in a view of carrying out a discreet investigation into the ugly fire incident in Lagos to punish all culprits.