Yoruba cardiologist apologises for alleged hate message against Igbos

Posted by: admin May 28, 2015 in News

NIGERIAN cardiologist of  Yoruba extraction, who is based in Dallas, Texas, United States of America, Dr Abraham Ariyo, has apologised to the Igbo, at home and in the Diaspora, and other people affected, over an alleged hate message he posted on his facebook account, insinuating that the Igbo would suffer same fate as foreigners did in South Africa recently.

In a statement by Dr Ariyo, made available to the Nigerian Tribune by the founder of  Agbole Oduduwa, a radio programme in the United Kingdom, Honourable Alderman Erelu Lola Ayorinde (Conservative), the cardiologist debunked the allegation that he canvassed on facebook that the Igbo of Nigeria should be slaughtered.

Dr Ayorinde stated that his internet post was manipulated by some people who felt aggrieved that he supported the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, on his stance during the just held gubernatorial election in Lagos State.

“My attention has been drawn to the news circulating in the social media attributed to me captioned ‘US-based Nigerian calls for the killing of the Igbos.’ This story is categorically FALSE. It was generated by computer fabricators, manipulated and bandaged to create havoc. Our investigations indicate that this horrible story was cooked, seasoned and delivered to get back at me for my sympathy for the Oba of Lagos during the recently concluded, highly contested Lagos State gubernatorial election. At the peak of electioneering debate, there were heated exchanges and at the heat of the moment, statements were made from both sides that could be misconstrued. The subsequent distortion by these sophisticated fabricators is causing significant injustice to us all.”

 To all the people affected by the original debate or subsequent computer distortions, I hereby apologise. No matter what, these stories are offensive and highly regrettable,” he said.

The Igbo community in the United States and elsewhere are already calling for the head of Dr Ayorinde, with a protest in Dallas that the cardiologist should be sacked by his employers, while he also claimed to have received over 500 death threats on his phone since this crisis erupted.

Meanwhile, Agbole Oduduwa, in a bid to douse tension, has fixed Monday, June 1 – Friday, June 5, 2015, by 7p.m. (UK/Nigerian time) for discussions with the leaders of the Yoruba and Igbo, who stand with one voice that one ethnic group is not against the other, and that the issue should be resolved amicably without spreading any hate messages among the two tribes.

According to the Agbole Oduduwa founder, listeners can join the programme online through zippedmultimedia.com/live-radio or tunein.com/get-tunein/. She added that the one-week programme is “to explore the possibility of a solution and to ensure that inaccurate third party information does not lead to spreading of the belief that the Igbo are anti–Yoruba, and vice versa, among the descendants of both tribes in Europe and at home.”