Anambra residents observe sit-at-home

Residents of Anambra State observed the sit-at-home order, a factional group declared for Monday and Tuesday.

This is despite the call by the Indigenous People of Biafra for residents in the South-East to ignore such order.

Our correspondent observed that economic and commercial activities were paralysed as major markets, roads, law courts, schools, banks, petrol filling stations and other public places across major cities of Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia and some parts of Awka remained deserted on Monday.

Only a few roadside traders were seen displaying their wares at places like Nkpor and Ochanja markets in Onitsha as well as Eke-Awka market in Awka, while the shops in the main markets remained under lock and key.

The state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who visited the market in Nkpor on Monday as part of his routine monitoring of activities in the markets, expressed satisfaction that the street traders came out for activities.

While briefly interacting with the traders, Soludo told the people to go about their lawful activities, assuring them of their safety and well-being.

A video and voice notes, apparently from a factional group of IPOB, had circulated on social media last week warning residents of the South-East to remain indoors on October 21 and 22, saying that those days have been declared sit-at-home and also threatening to deal with anyone who fails to comply with the directive.

But the pleas by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB through its spokesman, Emma Powerful, for residents to ignore the sit-at-home call and go about their normal business did not yield any positive change as residents remained indoors, while some gathered in the streets and discussed matters of various interest.

A market leader in one of the major markets in Onitsha who was spotted near the markets but requested anonymity said, “You know the governor has given us a directive to be opening the markets on Monday. Our own is to obey the directive by opening the gates for traders.

“But as you can see, everywhere is deserted due to the sit-at-home that began today. For fear of being attacked by hoodlums, everyone has decided to stay indoors and wait for events to unfold. Even the traders did not come; the few ones that came just hung around and observed things.”

Another pedestrian, John Okonkwo, said, “Only Nnamdi Kanu’s release will stop Monday’s sit-at-home; there is nothing anyone can do about this. The governors of the region should just focus on using their good offices to lobby for the release of Kanu.”

But in his reaction to the development, a human rights activist in the state and the Director of Civil Liberty Group, Ebuka Ikem, said, “It is a shame to the authorities that a voice note has been circulating the warning and threatening people to stay at home and no one can trace the origin and source of the voice note.

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“What happened to the NIN we were forced to do? Can’t the network providers be asked to trace the people who always circulate these voice notes?

“One day, they would ask us to remain indoors for one month, and everybody would comply like zombies. It’s a shame.”