Idowu Owohunwa, the commissioner of police in Lagos, says the command is investigating the threat issued against Igbo by Musiliu Akinsanya, chairman of parks and garages.
On Thursday, a video appeared on social media showing Akinsanya warning that those who do not want to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship election should stay at home.
Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, made the comment while addressing his supporters at an event in Lagos.
“We have begged them. If they don’t want to vote for us, it is not a fight. Tell them, Mama Chukwudi, if you don’t want to vote for us, sit down at home. Sit down at home,” MC Oluomo spoke in Yoruba in the viral video.
The comment elicited criticism on and off social media as many Nigerians asked security operatives to arrest MC Oluomo.
Reacting to the incident, Owohunwa, in an interview with Arise TV on Friday, assured Nigerians that nobody is above the law.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms any act, statement, or an action that could be interpreted as hate speech or that could be interpreted as deepening political tension regardless of the brain that might be behind it,” the Lagos police commissioner said.
“With regards to this specific video you mentioned, it is currently a subject of a detailed investigation. Of course, we are deploying our cyber security access to solve that. And, I can assure you that nobody is above the law.
“This country is regulated. Anybody that tries to use his position, or his influence on others to deepen hate, or engender political tension which could, of course, snowball into violence, it remains the responsibility and the mandate of the Nigeria Police to investigate such cases.
“This specific one you mentioned will not be in isolation. It is already a subject of review. And it will be in the interest of the actors behind it and all others that might wish to also engage in such ill-informed, indirect action to be very careful, to be firmly warned because in the fullness of time, the full law will take its course and it will be not different in this instance if established.”
