AHEAD of Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, yesterday, condemned the persistent targeted attacks by political thugs suspected to be loyal to the ruling party in Lagos State.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Mr Emmanuel Onwubiko, urged the electorate to scrutinise candidates and assess those who can solve economic issues and who can effectively hold social trust for four years before the next electoral cycle.

The group warned of anarchy if violence on non-indigenes is allowed to continue.

The statement reads: “The deliberately orchestrated arson carried out in the Spare parts market in the Apapa Ajegunle area of Lagos State dominated by Igbo traders is a provocative criminal act permitted by the Lagos State administration for fear that majority of voters in Lagos may opt for Labour Party so as to dethrone the political godfather of Lagos who has just been announced by INEC as the winner of the hotly contested Presidential election.

“It doesn’t make sense to continue attacking Igbo people when there is no existing conflict between the Igbos and their Yoruba hosts in Lagos State. 

“Those who are running for public offices must stop setting the biggest commercial centre of Nigeria on fire even if their defeat is inevitable because no single family needs to control the destiny of over 30 million people resident in Lagos which is undoubtedly a Yoruba owned state within the Nigerian federation.”“Besides, Onwubiko said: “With the governorship polls coming in the next few days, it is important to warn voters not to fall for collective hallucinations of assuming that there’s a particular political party that has the magic wand to solve economic issues.““HURIWA tasks voters to make their choices based on individual merits, competences and personal achievements of the person especially in the private sector and then assess the person based on his social contract with the people which the candidate expoused during the campaign season.”