Senate condemns sit-at-home order in South-East, rejects release of Kanu
Senate, Wednesday, condemned in totality the sit-at-home order enforced in the South East regions on residents by militants said to be loyal to Mr Simon Ekpa, an alleged disciple of leader of the pro-secession Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The senator also urged the Nigerian government to collaborate with the Finnish government to extradite Simon Ekpa for prosecution.
The resolutions are sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Osita Izunaso, Senate presiding officers and all the senators from the south east geopolitical zone which enumerated the human and economic losses recorded as a result of the illegal sit at home order.
Senate called for thorough investigation by relevant stakeholders to bring the other sponsors to book.
The Senate has rejected a motion to release from detention the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
The motion which was moved by Senator Osita Izunaso (Imo West) sought to address the constant sit-at-home order enforced by unknown gunmen in the South-East.
The lawmaker, in the motion co-sponsored by other lawmakers from the South-East, noted that the senators were aware that thousands of innocent lives had been lost since the action started, and properties worth over a trillion had been destroyed resulting in investors leaving the region.
“The sit-at-home civil disobedience actions in the South-East have led to the disruption/destruction of economic activities and immeasurable financial losses for businesses, workers, and the local economy. Because, when people are forced to stay at home and businesses remain closed, productivity declines and income is reduced, affecting livelihoods and economic growth.
“The “sit-at-home” protests disrupt the education of students, leading to missed classes and delays in academic progress. And such prolonged disruptions have long-term effects on students’ learning outcomes and educational development; Disturbed that disruption of essential public services, such as healthcare, transportation, and waste disposal, continues to have a severe impact during “sit-at-home” protests which adversely affect the well-being and safety of the general population living in the South-East.”
IPOB had in August 2021 declared a sit-at-home order every Monday across the South-East to protest the continued detention of Kanu. The pro-secession group eventually suspended the order.
However, leader of a faction of IPOB, Simon Ekpa, has continued to declare sit-at-home orders in the region despite the exercise being suspended by the mainstream IPOB led by Kanu.
