South East residents defy police, state governors’ threats, as IPOB sit-at-home order records compliance

[From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia; CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]

Despite threats from state governments and police commands in the South East region of the country to the call by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for residents to observe its sit-at-home order, the directive received high level of compliance in Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra, as well as Abia, with partial compliance recorded in Imo.

This is also as residents in states like Rivers showed solidarity with the call as they also complied with the order, though partially.

IPOB had called for a sit-at-home to be observed in all the South East states of Imo, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi and Anambra to press for the release of its activist leader, Nnamdi Kanu who is presently in the custody of the Department of State Security (DSS) undergoing court trial on offences bordering on treason, terrorism and arms running, preferred against him by the Nigerian government.

IPOB had also disclosed that the sit-at-home order will be a regime to be observed every Monday until its demands are met.

However, since Friday and all through Sunday, state governments and governors and the various police commands have warned residents including public servants to shun the sit-at-home order.

Oracle Today which monitored the levels of compliance by residents across the South East state report of total or near complete shutdown of business and social activities in the affected areas, as public markets and infrastructure, schools, motor parks shutting activities leaving residents who ventured out stranded.

In Enugu, IPOB’s sit-at-home order crippled human and vehicular movements in Enugu, as it recorded a total compliance.

Security operatives took over Enugu capital city and were seen patrolling round the town.

Schools and offices in the state were shut down.

Markets and major streets were deserted, with a hand full of people seen around.

However, a few number of tricycle and commercial buses operators were seen on the road though with palpable fears.

Residents who had summoned courage to come out to board tricycles and buses to their work places were seen running back to their houses for fear of unknown.

Similarly, motor parks and commercial banks didn’t also open for businesses when our Correspondent moved round the town in the early hours of Monday.

In Ebonyi, the order by IPOB recorded above 95 per cent compliance.

The Kpirikpiri market, otherwise known as Ofoke-Aba market, was shut down by the traders who never showed up for business. All the shops were under lock and key, except for a few food stuff petty traders who were seen displaying their wares on the tables, though with no customers to patronize them.

The same was the case of commercial banks in the State as a visit showed that they didn’t open for business, except for those whose entrance gates were seen open, apparently to allow access to customers who wish to use Automated Teller Machines for transactions.

In Ebonyi State, public servants also defied the directive of their Governor, David Umahi, who had directed them to ignore the sit-at-home order.

Interestingly, the workers were also absent on duties as a visit to major offices in the State including government house showed that though some offices opened for work, the workers were not on duty.

Also, there were no human or vehicular movements in major streets and busy roads in Abakaliki such Ogoja road, Afikpo road, Enugu/Abakaliki expressway, etc, and shops along the streets didn’t open for business, thereby making the Abakaliki capital city a near ghost town.

However, at about 12noon, countable number of motorcycle and tricycle operators, as well as few vehicles and pedestrians were later seen on the streets of the ever busy town.

Heavily armed security agents especially the Nigerian Police Force were also seen patrolling the entire town in convoy.

State Governor David Umahi had on Saturday directed residents of Ebonyi state to ignore the sit-at-home order by IPOB and feel free to go about their lawful businesses.

Umahi said the sit-at-home order issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra should be disregarded.

The Governor said his administration was committed to developing all sectors of the State and could not afford to be dragged backward under any guise.

In a statement signed by his Special Assistant (SA) on Media and Publicity, Mr Francis Nwaze, the Governor noted that Monday remained a working day across the State, adding that “Markets, banks, schools, etc, will operate normally.”

He, further urged the general public to feel free to go about the lawful businesses without any fear of intimidation or molestation.

He further appealed to the youths to desist from engaging in acts capable of breaking down of law, even as he directed the security agencies to be on alert and ensure that all law-abiding citizens go about their duties unmolested.

In Abia State capital which recorded partial compliance despite the governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, having earlier directed civil servants in the state to report to work immediately.

Many school children remained at home while few made it to school.

During a visit to Amuzukwu Community Primary School, many school children were seen in their classes. But at Amuzukwu Girls Secondary School, no student was seen in the school which is opposite Amuzukwu Community Primary School, except youth seen playing football at the school’s play ground.

Also, at the Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu Relief Market, Amuzukwu, only few traders were seen.

Many said they preferred to stay at home for fear of any eventuality.

Governor Ikpeazu had earlier on Sunday directed all civil servants in the state to immediately report to their duty posts.

The directive which was contained in a terse statement issued in Umuahia by the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Chris Ezem, Monday morning, empowered the State Head of Service, Sir Onyii Wamah, to punish those who failed to comply.

“The Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, has directed that all civil servants must ensure they are at their place of work today and going forward, except those exempted from work based on Covid-19 Guidelines.

“The Governor further directs that the Head of Service should ensure compliance with this directive and sanction any person that contravenes same appropriately,” the statement read.

The partial observance of the sit-at-home order is attributed to the confusion created by IPOB when it issued counter directives on the issue Sunday.

While the younger brother of the detained IPOB leader, Emma Kanunta Kanu, said his brother has approved that the sit-at-home which commenced Monday, August 9, 2021 should be suspended for the interest of students currently writing the National Examination Council (NECO) examinations, Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, insisted that the action must hold as planned.

However, IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, countered the suspension claim, insisting that the sit-at-home order must proceed.

Powerful said in a statement issued Sunday evening that: “the attention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been drawn to the purported suspension of Monday sit-at-home order issued by leadership of IPOB in some section of media.

Elsewhere in the state, reports from Aba, Enyimba city, the commercial hub of Abia State, indicate that there is total compliance to the sit-at-home order by IPOB as centres of economic and commercial activities remained closed, while streets were deserted.

Shops, banks, schools and marketplaces were shut. So also were motor parks as no commercial buses were seen loading. At the popular Ochendo park, one of the most busy motor parks in Aba, there was no activcity.

A source said “Aba residents showed a total compliance to the order by the IPOB leadership”

Meanwhile, in Imo where a partial compliance was recorded, the police command in the state during a press briefing at the Command headquarters in Owerri, on Sunday, disclosed that it had arrested 29 IPOB members who were attempting to enforce the sit-at-home order.

 Commissioner of Police Imo State Command, CP, Abutu Yaro, who made this known, Monday, said the 29 persons were suspected to members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) planning to attack the state ahead of the sit-at-home order on Monday.

“We got information that they have concluded their plans to launch an attack on the state as a way of enforcing their sit-at-home order and we moved our men to action and unfortunately for them, all of them were captured in their different camps of ESN, in the state. Also arrested were some women who offer them catering services.

”I am glad to report that Imo has remained largely peaceful. We have security measures to ensure everything is secure.

“We are not unaware that there are some people bent on trying to destroy the state.

“However, a lot of mileage has been scored and Imo still remains a leading light. We are not relenting. We must always be ahead of them,” he said.

However, residents still complied with the IPOB directive as most shops and other public places initially under lock and key at the early hours of 7 and 8 am, with their owners standing in front if their shops started opening them from 10 am.

At Orlu, believed to be the centre of mayhem in recent times the situation is different as the roads such Banana junction, Okporo among others were completely deserted and shops closed except for vehicles of security operatives patrolling the roads.

All banks were also shutdown in the State, few of the places visited by our correspondent only saw the staff in skeletal functions why their entrance door remain closed to customers as at the time of this report.

It was the same situation at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, in Ngor Okpalla, near Owerri. Although only 3 airlines had landed at the terminal by mid-morning, though with the passenger stranded inside the terminal building following the withdrawal of services by airport taxi operators on account of the order. Similarly, commercial motorcycles deserted the facility.

The road leading to the airport is completely a shadow of itself, even those local vendors selling around the airport did not turn up for their daily business.

However, at the popular Douglas road where the Eke-Ukwu Owerri is located is partially open for business.

In Anambra, there was a near total compliance with the sit-at-home order called by IPOB, as the popular Onitsha market traders observed the directive.

Four persons were feared killed allegedly by soldiers in two different locations in Anambra, just as business activities were crippled in the state.

Two persons were reportedly killed in Nnewi, Nnewi North Local Government Area while the other two were in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of the State.

The two victims in Nnewi were killed by soldiers for blocking the road while enforcing the sit-at-home at home order. They were alleged to be robbing passersby in the guise of enforcing the order.

At Ugwuorie/Nnewi road, Ozubulu, Ekwusigo local Government Area, the two others met their untimely death also for allegedly blocking the road to enforce the sit-at-home order.

They were said to have been killed by soldiers on patrol who were alerted on their activities.

Meanwhile business activities were totally grounded in Onitsha and environs, in solidarity to the sit-at-home order.

All markets in Onitsha, Ogbaru, Ogidi, Nkpor, among others were shut and major roads including the ever-busy Onitsha/Owerri road, Onitsha/Enugu expressway and Onitsha/Asaba/Benin/Lagos expressway were blocked by the agitators, thereby forcing inter-state travellers to be stranded.

At Nkpor and Onitsha/Owerri road, suspected IPOB members went on rampage by burning tyres on the major roads

Popular Onitsha main market was completely shut down and commercial buses that normally ply to and from Onitsha were nowhere to be seen even as few tricycles operated out of fear of attack by unknown.

Other roads such as old market, new market, Oguta, Awka, bright street, Ojedi and Zik’s Avenue, were also deserted.

Despite the ‘no work no salary’ order of Anambra government, many state workers were absent from their duty posts, as some office such as Court premises were under lock and key.

Anambra State Government had also warned workers of dire consequences including loss of salary, should they miss work on Monday, 9, August, 2021.

The warning by the Anambra State Government was contained in a circular issued by the Head of Service, Mr Larry Uduh, a copy of which was obtained by our Correspondent on Sunday.

“All workers in the State must attend to their duties on Monday 9th August 2021 as failure to do so will result in severe sanctions including loss of Salary for the month of August”, an extract from the circular read.

The circular further urged all Commissioners and Permanent Secretaries to monitor and report compliance.

In far away Rivers State, in the South South region of the country, residents observed what could be termed a solidarity sit-at-home order, as there was a near shutdown of business activities by locals.

In Oyigbo local government area of the state, schools and businesses were under lock in compliance with the order.

A resident of the area who spoke to our correspondent said they were shocked to learn this morning that “economic activities were shut down with scanty movement of humans and vehicles”.

Oyigbo which is a border town between Rivers and Abia States is predominately occupied by the Igbo people.

It would be recalled that IPOB had late Sunday debunked the reports claiming that it had cancelled Monday’s planned sit-at-home order, saying the order remains sacrosanct.

The situation is also believed to have caused confusion among South East residents, a reason adduced for the mixed compliance with the sit-at-home order by the group.

A statement by the IPOB’s Spokesman, Emma Powerful, said the purported suspension of the order was fake and should be disregarded.

The statement further warned that ‘anybody who ventured to come out tomorrow would regret his or her life.’

The statement reads, “The attention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been drawn to the purported suspension of Monday sit at home order issued by leadership of IPOB has been suspended by some section of media. We wish to remind every Biafran that the sit at home order remain sacrosanct on Monday tomorrow.

“Anybody issuing press statement concerning IPOB sit at home order is fake and any statement without sit at home order or any activity of IPOB remain comrade Emma Powerful the media and publicity secretary for IPOB.

“Therefore, every Biafran should disregard regard every statement that is not from Emma Powerful or DOS and radio Biafra.

“We know the situation of those going exam tomorrow but our demand is for them to release our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and our people must understand that Fulani terrorists and co, stopped our people school for three years during the genocidal war in 1967 to 1970 and it did not kill our people and this is one day sacrifice for the release of somebody who has sacrificed a lot for our land.

“Anybody who venture to come out tomorrow Will regret his or her life. We warn you tomorrow is total lockdown in every part of Biafra tomorrow.”