APC's Joe Igbokwe Speaks Out Amid Reports He Was Beaten at Ladipo Market in Lagos, Video Trends
- Joe Igbokwe denied mob assault claims at Ladipo Market amid ongoing criticism of Nnamdi Kanu-led IPOB
- Igbokwe clarified that he was not harmed and warned against future provocations at the popular spare parts market
- Past incidents link Igbokwe to IPOB tensions, including the arson of his home in Anambra state in October 2021
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Ladipo, Lagos state - Joe Igbokwe, a prominent chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, on Saturday, June 6, denied that he was beaten by a mob at Ladipo Market.
Legit.ng reports that reports surfaced online alleging that Igbokwe was physically assaulted by individuals displeased with his long-standing criticism of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is currently serving a life prison sentence in Sokoto. Some persons of southeast extraction also accuse Igbokwe of being anti-Igbo.
Source: Twitter
Ladipo Market in Mushin, Lagos, is widely recognised as Nigeria's largest auto spare parts market and is predominantly populated and operated by Igbo businessmen. Igbokwe is Igbo, from Nnewi, Anambra state.
Legit.ng learnt that on Friday, June 5, Igbokwe visited Ladipo Market to purchase spare parts for his vehicle.
At the market, some individuals recognised him, gathered around him, and openly criticised him.
Igbokwe denies Ladipo Market assault claim
Speaking on the incident, Igbokwe warned that if such an occurrence happens again and escalates, those involved “will collect big.”
According to the Lagos resident, some Ladipo Market traders attempted to provoke him, but he remained calm.
He said:
"They were coming. I now decided to move away from that place. I went to my friend's shop. Then I was there. My friend went to call the leadership of the market. All of them came. Then I said 'let me just go'. And I came outside, I saw a lot of people, talking, saying all kinds of things, I didn't say anything, I just drove away.
"So this morning, I was going through my Facebook page, I saw some people say Joe Igbokwe was beaten. This is me live. Did I look like somebody who was beaten? They cannot do it in Lagos. There are things you cannot do here. You can go to southeast and be doing the rubbish you've been doing there and the shame you have brought to us over the years, but not in Lagos. I pray that it will not happen again."
The 70-year-old added:
"Nothing happened to me. I am okay. Nobody touched me; nobody even near my face. Nobody did that. This is just to put the record straight. People have been calling me. They can't do it in Lagos. If they do it in Lagos, I tell you they will collect. That market, they may not see that market in the next one year. Nobody will go into that place."
The X video of the incident involving Igbokwe at Ladipo Market can be viewed below:
Igbokwe's clarification can be watched in full below here via his Facebook post:
Joe Igbokwe's home razed
Legit.ng recalls that in early October 2021, Igbokwe's country home was set on fire in Nnewi.
In a Facebook post at the time, Igbokwe accused IPOB members of being responsible for the attack.
He did not provide any evidence on the involvement of IPOB in the arson.
Source: Facebook
At the time, unidentified gunmen had targeted prominent personalities in the southeast, including Chike Akunyili, a medical doctor and husband of the late National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) boss, Dora Akunyili.
Most of the attacks have been blamed on the members of IPOB, whose leader, Kanu, was charged with treason.
The IPOB leadership has, however, distanced its members from the attacks.
Igbokwe laments naira-to-dollar exchange rate
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Igbokwe lamented the impact of the naira fall.
Igbokwe, a top campaigner of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, bemoaned the unfavourable exchange rates.
He stated that he cannot keep the dollar or any other foreign currency.
Source: Legit.ng
