Yesterday, all economic activities were shut down in compliance with the sit-at-home order issued by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, across the southeast States.
It was gathered by Vanguard that major streets, roads, cities and all markets, public and private schools, government offices, banks, petrol stations were shut down with keys following the Biafra day celebration on its 54th anniversary.
According to the report, all the roads leading in and out of the southeast states were ghosts of themselves as residents stayed away from them in compliance with the Biafra directives.
The ever-busy Onitsha-Enugu expressway of the Onitsha end of the Niger Bridge leading to Awka; the Onitsha-Owerri, Nnewi, and Okigwe road were all ghosts without a single-vehicle.
The commercial city of Onitsha and the industrial town of Nnewi both in Anambra State were in total compliance with the directive of the sit-at-home prescribed by the IPOB in honor of the Igbo heroes and heroines killed during the Nigerian Biafra Civil war.
Vanguard reported that in Anambra, the roads and streets were abandoned, no economic, political, religious, cultural, and social activities ever took place as residents stayed indoors all day.
It was reported that the Markets, banks, public and private schools were closed as compared to the past where street shop owners would be seen hanging around their shops to conduct sharp business transactions with their customers just as artisans did, but in this 2021 sit-at-home, traders, artisans, business owners, and shop owners did not come out of their homes, let alone visiting their shops or offices to hang around for any possible business transaction.
In Onitsha metropolis, all the major markets like Onitsha Main Market, Relief Market, Ochanja Central Market, New Motor Spare parts Nkpor and Obosi and Old Motor Spare Parts Nkpor and Obosi, and Building Materials Market and Concessionary Market opposite and other markets located in Ogidi were shut down. Small markets including foodstuff markets that never closed for business even on Sundays, namely, Ekene Junction Food Market, Coca Cola Food Market by Onitsha Enugu Expressway, and those located near Ochanja Central Market were closed.
None of the numerous banks in various locations in Onitsha opened for business. Schools both secondary and primary schools did not open for academic activities. Policemen were seen in over six convoys of vans patrolling major roads and streets without any seen at any checkpoint.
Correspondents moving around the ever-busy and congested Upper Iweka in Onitsha reported that all the motor parks of major transporters, like The Young Shall Grow, GUO Transport Company, Ifesinachi Transport Company, ABC Transport Company, MIC Merah Transport Company, and others, including private motor parks contracted to individuals by Anambra State Government, were stranded with no passenger seen for business.
In the report, it was gathered that thousands of touts were not seen within the ever-busy Upper Iweka, Iweka Road, Lagos Park, Owerri Road, Obodoukwu Road, Uga Junction, Atani Road and Niger Bridge Head, Niger Street, and all the streets around Onitsha Main Market, and other major markets in Onitsha and Edo Ezenewi, Bank Road, Owerri Road all in Nnewi, were nowhere to be seen.
Meanwhile at the Niger Bridge Head, an exit from Onitsha to Asaba, soldiers mounted checkpoints, and few pedestrians coming in and exiting Onitsha, were made to properly identify themselves before crossing. Nobody was harassed, intimidated, or maltreated. There was no single gunshot by the soldiers or Policemen seen patrolling the roads and streets of Onitsha.
The situation was the same at the Asaba end of the Niger Bridge Head, the border between Anambra and Delta States, near God, is Good Transport Company terminal and Edegbe Transport Company, as soldiers and Policemen of “Operation Delta Halks, OPDH, were seen conducting similar checks on pedestrians and few motorists on essential duties without any kind of harassment and intimidation of the people and occupants.
However, the two transport companies, God is Good and Edegbe Motors business premises were closed for business as no single passenger or vehicle except few grounded ones were seen at the terminals.
In Imo State, economic and social activities suffered a serious setback in all the 27 local council areas as everyone remained indoors in compliance with the sit-at-home order of the IPOB.
No single human and vehicular movement was seen on the streets especially Owerri, the state capital. All businesses were completely shut down.
An investigation revealed that apart from those who opted to respect the “stay at home order issued by the leadership of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB”, others stayed away for fear of being arrested by security personnel.
A respondent who spoke on strict grounds of anonymity, said: “Imo has been in the news for all the bad reasons. The level of insecurity in the state is palpable and nobody is sure of what happens in the next meeting.
“Before the sit at home order, stories were told about how innocent people were arrested by police operatives and branded bandits, IPOB and members of Eastern Security Network, ESN. We have also heard and seen how some hapless people were killed for puerile reasons.
In Enugu, there was total compliance to the sit-at-home order issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, as economic and social activities in were paralyzed in the state .
It was gathered that Ogbete Main Market, New Market, Kenyetta Market, Garki were deserted. Schools, parks like Onitsha South Mass Transit, GOU, Young, Ifesinachi, Royal Mass Transit, banks, and shopping malls like Shoprite were abandoned and under lock and key.
At Okpara Avenue, Abakaliki Road, New Layout, Ogbete Market, Agbani, Abakpa, and other major towns and areas in the state were looked while commercial buses and tricycle riders were nowhere to be seen.
Other markets in the metropolis that were affected included Aria Market, Kenyatta Market, Artisan Market, Garki, and Akwata Market.
Also, academic activities at public and private schools in the metropolis were affected as no student was seen in schools visited.
In Ebonyi, it was gathered that hoodlums set motorcycles, vehicles ablaze with 100 percent compliance as shops, business centers, parks, stadiums, recreational centers, banks, universities, schools both private and public among others were not opened for activities. Vehicles and motorcycles were hardly seen on the road as the state capital was unusually in a state of quietness.
Vanguard also gathered that around Ozibo Development Centre, a group of young men was seen molesting passersby and motorcycle operators for violating the sit-at-home order.
Situation report within the axis of Nnodo, Abebe junction, and Ogbaga road revealed total compliance to the sit at home order in the state.
It was further gathered that all banks and shops along Ogoja Road and waterworks are under lock with key as streets were abandoned.
While in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, Social and economic activities were paralyzed in the Nsukka metropolis, following the sit-at-home-order to honor the Biafran fallen heroes.
It was observed that the popular Ogige Market in the heart of the university town and all the commercial banks and traders’ shops were locked.
There was equally no vehicular movement as residents retired to their homes except for a few who were peeping from secured corners in their respective streets to observe the situation.
The same situation was observed in the popular market at Obollo Afor, Udenu Local Government Area of the state as traders locked their stalls, leaving the market empty.
In Abia State capital, streets in Umuahia were empty and abandoned as residents remained indoors in total compliance with the sit-at-home order to mark this year’s Biafra Day.
Unlike previous years when the exercise recorded partial compliance in Umuahia where the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu hails from, the capital city was completely shut down. All shops in the street were under lock and key.
When the Correspondent visited the relief market beside Amuzukwu Primary School, no trader nor buyer was sighted as the market was completely deserted.
It was a similar situation at the ever-congested nearby Orieugba market which was a ghost of itself.
Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu had Sunday night said Abia traders would not be compelled to open their shops today if they chose not to do so.
But, Kanu in his early morning Facebook live broadcast on Monday both on other social media platforms, expressed rage over the non-compliance attitude of Umuahia, Enugu, and Abakaliki to similar orders in the past.
He warned them to ensure total compliance to the sit-at-home order this year.
Business centers in Aba, the commercial nerve center of Abia State were shut as residents observed the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to honor Biafra’s fallen heroes.
The roads in the city were abandoned as motorists also complied with the order. Even the usually disruptive tricycle operators could not be sighted on the roads. Schools in the city had earlier warned parents to keep their children at home.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has commended Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra State; his Enugu State counterpart, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, and Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State for taking some proactive actions in memory of the Biafra Day celebration.
Kanu during the live broadcast on Monday morning via Facebook and other social media platforms also applauded the courage of Gov. Obiano in building a cenotaph in memory of fallen Biafra heroes.
He also commended Gov. Ugwuanyi for releasing members of the Zionist Biafra group crammed into detention for some months now.
The IPOB Leader also saluted the boldness of Gov. Ikpeazu in “speaking truth to power” when he declared on Sunday night that Abia traders would not be forced to open their shops today (Monday) if they chose not to do so.
Similarly, Kanu grudgingly commended the decision of Umahi to revoke his earlier threat to seize the shop of any trader in Ebonyi that closed shop because of the sit-at-home order.
Kanu stated that “for the first time” the governors had behaved in a manner that won his admiration.
“Maybe they are beginning to repent but I don’t want to be quick in saying they have repented until I’m sure they have. If they have repented, that will be nice for us all”.
Kanu called for unity among Ndigbo and other indigenous tribes that make up the Biafra republic, saying that unity of the people in Nigeria’s greatest nightmare.
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