Following Saturday’s arrest, the Department of State Services (DSS) has said the self-acclaimed Eze Igbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos State, Fredrick Nwajagu, will be transferred to Abuja from the Lagos holding facility.
A DSS source at the headquarters, Abuja, who craved anonymity disclosed this to The Punch on Saturday night saying, “He is in our custody in Lagos. We expect him to be taken to Abuja. He may not be alone.
“We have said before that there are people who are threatening the peace of the nation. The country will not allow anyone to plunge it into avoidable crisis.”
Recall Nwajagu was arrested during a raid by a joint team of policemen and operatives of the DSS on Saturday for issuing a threat to invite members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to secure the property of Igbo people in Lagos.
“A team of police and DSS went to his palace but he had already fled. He was later traced to a hotel in Ejigbo where he was arrested,” an anonymous source revealed.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Hundeyin, the State police spokesperson, confirmed the arrest, adding that the chief had been handed over to the DSS for further action over his inciting comments.
He said, “Yes, he (Fredrick) has been arrested and is currently in the custody of the DSS. They are in charge of anything associated with terrorism.”
Reacting, the leadership of the Lagos State chapter of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide said the comments made by Nwajagu did not represent the ideals of the Igbo people in Lagos.
READ ALSO: DSS Arrests Eze Igbo Who Threatened To Invite IPOB To Lagos
Solomon Ogbonna-Aguene, the president of the socio-cultural group, said the detained chief would be made to face the music alone, adding that he spoke out of his interest.
“He (Igbo leader) did not discuss his statement with any of us. The comments are his personal decisions and for his personal interests. Ohanaeze does not support such comment as its views.
“There are some comments that should not be heard from us as a socio-cultural organisation. We are supposed to be apolitical.
“We are not in support of what Chief Fredrick said. For him to mention that he is going to bring IPOB to Lagos is completely unnecessary. No Igbo person will support such arrangement. So, he is the one that will answer for himself. Let him go and face the music,” he said.
Ogbonna-Aguene explained that Igbo people had not found things easy with IPOB even in the South-East, stating that it was unfair for Nwajagu to threaten to invite the group to Lagos.
“Why then should he bring it up here in Lagos? If he wants to speak to IPOB, he should have met with them in his personal capacity, not as Eze Igbo. Who gave him the power to speak on Igbo interest,” Ogbonna-Aguene queried.
When contacted, the Chairman, Supreme Council of Ndi-Eze, Lagos State, Mr Omega Lawrence, said Nwajagu was not an Eze in Lagos.
“He is not a member of the Council of Eze. That is the truth. He is just our brother and his statements are unfortunate, but we cannot deny him. I condemn the statement in its entirety. We are not part of it,” Lawrence added.
