Many Imo State residents across the 27 councils, yesterday, complied with the sit-at-home order issued by Simon Ekpa-led faction of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), ignoring the economic empowerment option by the incarcerated leader of the group, Nnamdi Kanu.
In Owerri, the state capital, many business premises were closed, including banks, markets and other food outlets, ignoring the state government’s directive for businesses to open or risk being sealed. There were a handful of vehicles on the roads, even as security operatives, on joint operations, were patrolling the city. It was the same story in other parts of the state.
Some shop owners, who opened, merely provided skeletal sales and services, hiding and selling to their customers.
Owerri streets, such as Wetheral, Douglas, Okigwe, Egbu, Mbaise, Nekede, Bank, including adjourning roads in Aladinma, Ikenegbu Layout, among others, were deserted, according to a Guardian report. Also, Kanu had, through his special lawyer, Aloy Ejimofor, directed an end to sit-at-home, citing economic losses by South East people. But Ekpa, who is based in Finland, objected to the directive, referring to it as fake.
A trader on Wetheral Road, popularly known as Tagboo, said the only way to end the sit-at-home is for President Bola Tinubu to issue a directive, freeing Kanu from detention.
He said: “They know what to do. Let Tinubu free Kanu. That is the only thing that will make us believe the end to sit-at-home on Mondays. When we see him, he would say it and we would believe him.”
