Hate speech: Police launch probe into murder threats

The police in Lagos have launched an investigation into  “a vile and dogmatic” You-Tube video by a yet-to-be identified Igbo man threatening to kill “Adeyinka Grandson”.

A trending video of a man seated beside a Biafran flag and threatening to murder the said Grandson has further heightened tension, following the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

But police spokesman Chike Oti, a Chief Superintendent (CSP), said his boss, Zubairu Muazu, had already directed the intelligence arm of the command to probe the video with a view to obtain credible intelligence that will lead to the arrest and prosecution of the character.

In a telephone chat with The Nation yesterday, Oti said that the command was yet to establish if the man in the video was based within or outside the country.

He said: “The command has seen the video. The man in question is automatically a suspect as far as the Lagos Police Command is concerned.  Actually, we do not know where he made that video from. We are yet to establish if it was in Nigeria or abroad but investigation will reveal that.

“The Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu has urged residents to disregard such characters because they are out to cause only mischief. Nigerians are enjoined to take news emanating from questionable sources with a pinch of salt and try to get confirmation on issues of security from the police and relevant agencies.

“The police commissioner reassures the good people of Lagos that their security is uppermost in the mind of the command.

“The command will leave no stone unturned to ensure security for all to thrive, irrespective of tribe, religious or ethnic inclination.

“He is appealing to Lagosians with useful information on the character and his ilks to avail the command. The Commissioner has activated intelligence component of the command to look into the video footage and avail us credible intelligence that would lead to the arrest of that character and people like him who are agents of division and propagate hate, inciting messages.

“From available record, the man in the video is not a member of any known Igbo organisation and has never been introduced as spokesman for any known Igbo group. So, the Igbo and Nigerians in general should not take him seriously.”