‘Arrest anyone enforcing sit-at-home order,’ IPOB urges South East residents
Pro-secession group in the country, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged resident of the South East to apprehend anyone enforcing the sit-at-home order in the region.
The call follows in the heels of reports of armed youths in parts of Abia State who marched through communities shutting down businesses last Wednesday.
IPOB in a statement, Thursday, ordered arrest of anyone enforcing Monday sit-at-home enforcers, just as it reiterated that the initial order has been lifted
Media and Publicity Secretary of secessionist group, Emma Powerful, who gave the directive in a statement made available to newsmen, wondered why some people would continue to enforce an order that was long cancelled by the secessionist group.
”We wish to reiterate once again that IPOB has cancelled Monday sit- at-home order and anybody or group enforcing the relaxed order is neither from IPOB nor from IPOB volunteer group.
“We are advising our people to ignore anybody enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at- home order and go about their normal business because such person(s) are working for our enemies and their intension is to blackmail IPOB and set the movement against the people but they won’t succeed.
“Anyone caught adding to the pain of our people in the name of enforcing Monday sit-at-home order will be treated like the enemy that he or she is.
“We therefore, warn these agents of darkness using the name of IPOB to enforce a non-existent sit-at-home to desist because if we lay hold on them they will eternally regret their evil actions.
“Why should such unpatriotic elements be inflicting pain on our people and dragging our image to the mud? IPOB remains a non-violent movement and our peaceful approach for Biafra restoration has not changed.
“We hereby direct community leaders, market leaders, church leaders, and other institutions of authority in Biafra land to arrest any hoodlum trying to enforce any sit-at-home on Mondays and hand them over to IPOB. Such criminal elements must be treated in a language they understand,” the statement read.
The group had originally declared Monday’s as sit-at-home day in protest against the continued detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu. However, the order was modified to only the days Kanu is sto appear in court.
“Nobody has the powers to enforce the same suspended sit-at-home using the name of IPOB. Such a person is an impostor working for the killing squad of the Nigerian DSS and Nigerian security agencies and should be treated as such if apprehended.
“The only day sit-at-home will be observed in Biafraland is when our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is appearing in court, and we shall as usual make it public for all to know,” IPOB continued.
Meanwhile, it was reported that gun, machete and club wielding youths numbering over 100 marched through some streets off the Ngwa/Ohanku Roads axis of Aba, Abia State, on Wednesday, to enforce the sit-at-home order of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
It was gathered that in order to enforce the order in line with the appearance of the IPOB leader in court today, the youths, which included women, and decked in all black attire, took advantage of the poor road network in the area and marched through some streets, including Dikenafai, Ogwo, Item, Aja and others, chanting war songs and forcing schools and shops which opened for business to close.