Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has slammed Primate Babatunde Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church over what it described as reckless, false and inflammatory ethnic slurs, insisting that the cleric must be interrogated by security agencies for stoking tension with his comments on an alleged “Igbo curse.”
Primate Ayodele, in viral social media posts, claimed that “Igbos are the problem of Nigeria,” and further alleged that the Igbo ethnic group is “under a curse” and “desperate to be Nigerian President.”
But in a sharply worded statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, Ohanaeze said the comments amount to dangerous hate speech unbefitting of any religious figure, much less one who claims to speak for God.
“Ohanaeze is shocked that a supposed man of God could descend to this level of reckless ethnic profiling,” the statement said. “The Igbo are not desperate for the Nigerian presidency. Our progress is not tied to political patronage. Across the world, the Igbo character is defined by enterprise, resilience, innovation and hard work. No incendiary sermon can rewrite this truth.”
The apex Igbo body warned that Ayodele’s remarks are capable of inciting hostility against an entire ethnic group at a time when Nigeria is struggling to heal from political and regional fractures.
Describing the statement as a threat to peaceful coexistence, Ohanaeze urged security agencies to immediately invite the cleric for questioning and determine whether his public utterances constitute a breach of national security laws.
“We call on the relevant security authorities to interrogate Primate Ayodele for hate speech and incitement. Such divisive talk must attract consequences,” the group declared.
The organisation also asked government authorities to consider shutting down any religious premises repeatedly used as a platform for ethnic hostility and destabilising rhetoric.
“Nigeria is grappling with enough challenges. What we do not need is a pulpit turned into a megaphone for division,” Ohanaeze added.
Reaffirming its commitment to national peace and unity, the organisation vowed to defend the dignity of the Igbo people against slander and misrepresentation. It also warned Igbo adherents in Ayodele’s church to be cautious of teachings “built on prejudice rather than truth.”
