IPOB’s Sit-at-home Continues in Enugu, Despite Gov Mbah’s Pronouncement

Ogbete Market in Enugu

Residents of Enugu State, south-east Nigeria, on Monday, shut their businesses and stayed indoors in compliance with the sit-at-home usually enforced by a faction of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The sit-at-home continued despite a pronouncement by the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, declaring an end to the civil action in the state.

Mr Mbah, on Thursday, vowed that his administration would resist the continuation of the civil action in the state from Monday, 5 June (today).

Therefore, those that strike on Mondays, putting restrictions in the way of our Igbo spirit of creativity, cannot be our true representatives. To this end, therefore, from Monday June 5, 2023, there will be no observance of any sit-at-home in all nooks and crannies of Enugu State.

“Government will enforce this with all the powers at its disposal”, Mr Mbah had said.

The governor, on Saturday, subsequently asked all schools, markets, retail outlets, hospitals and transporters to stop obeying the Monday sit-at-home order in the state or face sanctions.

“Any market, transport outlet, or any other body that fails to open for business risks being shut immediately,” Dan Neomeh, head of Governor Mbah’s media team,

A PREMIUM TIMES reporter who visited various markets, motor parks, schools and others in the state observed that major roads were deserted and traders shut their business in compliance with the civil order declared by the separatist group.

At the popular Holy Ghost Roundabout near Ogbete Main Market, a combined team of security operatives comprising the police, personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the military, were stationed at the area with two armoured vehicles and several patrol trucks.

Although the main gate of the Ogbete Main Market was left open, shops in the market were under lock and key. There was grave silence inside the market when PREMIUM TIMES visited at about 9:30 a.m. on Monday.

Commercial banks, filling stations and schools were also shut. Several shops along major roads and streets in the state, however, did not open for business. There were minimal human and vehicular movements along the road.

A bank under lock and key

“I have spent some litres of fuel without carrying a reasonable number of passengers. I regret coming out today,” a commercial mini bus driver told this newspaper when asked if the sit-at-home was affecting his transport business.

“Everywhere is empty. People are just scared to come out due to possible attacks by unknown gunmen.”

Some tricycle riders were seen idling about beside a motor park near the Ogbete Main Market, apparently due to scarcity of passengers.

One of the riders, Okechukwu Madu, told PREMIUM TIMES that the sit-at-home worsened because of the declaration by Governor Mbah.

Mr Madu, looking rather distraught, claimed that any effort to stop the civil action in any part of the South-east without the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained IPOB leader, would be fruitless.

“The governor (Mbah) made a mistake. Some days ago, he sent his men who went around Enugu even here (Ogbete Market) and New Market, telling people to start coming out every Monday that he had asked (President Bola) Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu,” he said in Igbo language.

“But today became worse. People used to line up in front of Ogbete Market and do business, but today you can see nobody is here,” Mr Madu stated, demonstrating with his hands.

Background
IPOB, in August 2021, introduced a sit-at-home order every Monday across the South-east to pressure the Nigerian government to release its detained leader, Mr Kanu, who is standing trial for alleged terrorism at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The separatist group later suspended the order, in preference for it to be implemented only on days Mr Kanu appears in court.

But despite its suspension, residents of the five South-east states – Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia and Anambra — have been observing the Monday sit-at-home order, mostly out of fear.

IPOB has repeatedly disowned the Monday sit-at-home across the region, saying those who still enforce the order were criminals attempting to blackmail the separatist group.

A leader of Autopilot, a faction of the IPOB, Simon Ekpa, has been accused of being behind the continued enforcement of the suspended sit-at-home order in the region.

IPOB is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra, which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of the south-south, Nigeria. (Premium Times)
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