metro
By Benprince Ezeh
MANY residents in the South East on Monday failed to resume their normal business activities in spite of the announcement that Monday’s sit-at-home order had been cancelled by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. The residents said that they refused to resume their business activities for fear of being killed or wounded by the hoodlums who are still enforcing the order.
Realnews gathered that there was panic in Obollo-Afor town in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State on Monday, January 17, when hooded gunmen, enforcing the suspended sit-at-home order, attacked the residents of the community for disobeying the order.
The incident, which happened around 8 am, saw the masked gunmen flogging traders and destroying their wares.
The hoodlums, who came into the commercial town on motorcycles, were seen beating traders who opened shops for business.
They were also said to have set ablaze a tricycle after discharging its passengers and pushing away the owner.
A Sienna vehicle belonging to the Udenu Central Neighbourhood Watch was also destroyed in the attack.
Some villagers said that members of the Udenu Central Neighbourhood Watch ran for their life on sighting the gunmen before their vehicle was destroyed.
Some eyewitnesses said that the residents, who had come out for business, were seen scampering for safety as the hoodlums chased them with whips.
However, a team of military men arrived at the town around 8:30 am to restore normalcy and had been patrolling the town.
There were reports that residents of Enugu metropolis deserted the roads and streets for fear of attacks, while markets, schools, public or private places, offices, shops, or parks opened were shut.
Meanwhile, IPOB announced on Sunday that there would be no sit-at-home this Monday, Wednesday and Thursday this week, but it, however, said that the only day there would be sit-at-home would on Tuesday, January 18, the day its leader Nnamdi Kanu would appear in court in Abuja.
A statement by Emma Powerful, IPOB’s media, and publicity secretary said: “No sit-at-home in Biafra land on Wednesday, January 19 and Thursday.
“Anybody issuing an order for sit-at-home on 19 and 20 of January is not a member of IPOB,” he said.
The statement explained that such a person or persons are working against the interests of its leader, Mazi Kanu, and the entire struggle.
IPOB said that it could not compound the suffering of Ndigbo and friends of Ndigbo by locking down South East for three days, saying that anybody enforcing sit-at-home, on Monday 17, Wednesday 19, and Thursday 20 is a criminal and should be treated as such.
It will be recalled that IPOB last week told the southeast governors and security agencies to wake up from their slumber and treat criminals and hoodlums still enforcing sit-at-home order on Mondays or any day it did not approve as criminals that want to rob people.
However, despite the assurances from IPOB that there would be no sit-at-home on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, residents of Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State on Sunday were making arrangements to leave the town, especially people who plan to travel to Lagos and other cities for fear of being trapped in the town following the rumours that there would be sit-at-home for three or four days this week.
The movement of persons on Sunday resulted in heavy traffic jam in Onitsha as all the exit roads from Onitsha to other Anambra communities and Asaba, the Delta State capital and Imo and Enugu States were blocked.
Tags: Benprince Ezeh Emma Powerful Enugu State IPOB Nnamdi Kanu sit-at-home
