The Baale of Ije Ododo, island community in Iba Local Council Development Area in Ojo, Lagos State, Chief Jelili Ododo, has distanced himself from a viral video alleging he ordered thugs to destroy property belonging to Igbo residents in the community for not voting All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ododo stressed his cordial relationship with non-indigenes in the community, and urged his people to continue as such. “I do not practice tribalism or ethnicity,’ he added.

Leader of the Igbo community in Ije Ododo, Chief Chika Nwokede, condemned the false allegations, saying Ododo and the community never intimidated or victimised anyone in the land, let alone brutalising any tribe who does not work for any political party, especially in the election.

Nwokede urged the Igbo community to abstain from tarnishing their hosts ‘because he accommodated everyone by selling his land for them to build house and progress in their individual businesses. The love and peaceful co-existence among us can only bring prosperity to the land”, he added.

Ododo explained there had been road construction in the community in the last four weeks, and so the breaking of extensions on the road to give way to proper drainage channels in preparation for the rainy season.

He maintained there was an announcement before the work started, with a notice to the police station that extensions on the roads be removed. But some people refused to comply with the instruction.