Activist, Joe Igbokwe, has slammed Igbo people who believe that their travelling to the East to celebrate the Christmas and New Year holidays left Lagos state ‘’empty and dry”.
In an open letter written to Ndigbos, Igbokwe argued that this assumption by some Igbos is not only absurd but ”very petty, a senseless effusions, multiple ignorance, lack of knowledge, outright brigandage, arrant stupidity and at best a shame”.
According to him, Igbos have been too noisy in Nigeria. He asked Ndigbos to stop provoking and intimidating other tribes. According to him, the richest Nigerian, Aliko Dangote and others billionaires from the North and the South West do not make noise like the Igbos.
‘’OPEN LETTER TO NDIGBO WHO LIVE IN LAGOS
I have noticed some funny posts on Social Media from December 15 2025 till date where some people from my Tribe were posting pictures of some roads and markets in Lagos where there are few vehicles and few people. They were telling the world that Lagos is empty because Igbo have travelled out of Lagos to their villages in the South East. I find it to be very absurd, very petty, a senseless effusions, multiple ignorance, lack of knowledge, outright brigandage, arrant stupidity and at best a shame.
I have lived in Lagos for nearly 40 years and I know Lagos very well. It is a huge business empire, the economic hob of Nigeria, the land of limitless opportunities, the land of aquatic splendor, the city of knowledge and understanding, the heartbeat of Nigeria, the pride of Nigeria and Africa, the 24 hours city.
Yes Igbo live in Lagos and they are millions of Igbo in Lagos, there are millions of South Westerners from Kwara, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and they travel too during Christmas to their respective States. there are millions from South South who travel to their states during Christmas too. There are also North West, North East and North Central and many of them travel to their States too during Muslin festivals. Go to food markets in Ketu, Badagry corridor, Agege, Ajegunle,,Lagos Island, Epe , Alimosho, Apapa, Ikorodu, Oyingbo etc and see the Northerners in actions.
For years I have begged our people to do away with this ugly selfish sense of superiority, paranoid grandiosity , I better than others body language, noisy race and overrated tribe. This will not help us . Let elders engage our people and talk sense into them. Stop provoking and trying to intimidate other Nigerians. Every Tribe has something tangible to bring to the table in Nigeria. South Westerners are the most sophisticated and most successful ethnic group in Nigeria and yet they do not make too much noise. The richest Nigerian, Aliko Dangote and others billionaires from the North do not make noise and so are the Yorubas.
We the Igbos make thunderous noise in Nigeria. We arrogate to ourselves to what we are not. We are too loud. Let us lie low for now and go and rebuild Igboland we have deliberately destroyed with our own hands for years now. We have a lot of work to do in Igboland but you will leave your devastated and polluted land to go an abuse people that have built the best zone in the country. They have everything going for them. We do not need to reinvent the wheel but to learn the lessons from other Nigerians. This childish and kindergarten mentality in our hearts must be evacuated from our systems.
If you go to bed by 10 pm and decide to wake by 12 noon the next day it is your time. Let us begin to work on our young Igbo people to learn how to make less noise. Let it not be all noise and no substance full sound a fury signifying nothing. I rest my case.”
