Residents Defy Simon Ekpa’s Two-Week Sit-At-Home Order In The Southeast

 

The two-week Sit-At-Home order issued by Finland based Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa has suffered a setback. Residents of Southeast states shunned the order and attended to their daily schedules yesterday.

In Imo State, business owners in the Owerri metropolis opened to customers. 

Banks, markets, supermarkets, restaurants and artisans operated unhindered.

Transporters operated at their terminals on Egbu Road, Arugo Park, on the Owerri-Onitsha road.

However, it was learnt that residents of volatile local government areas like Orlu, Njaba and Oguta were scared to move about freely.

A resident, who simply identified himself as Donatus, said: “People were indoors in Orlu because of the area’s volatile nature.”

In Enugu, public institutions opened for businesses, even as individuals went about their normal lives without fear.

Public transportation also witnessed a boom as people moved about freely.

Security operatives were stationed at strategic locations within the Enugu metropolis to ward off any untoward situation.

Residents who spoke to reporters described the order as ‘reckless and an attempt by Simon Ekpa to play with their lives as he wished, and inflict more hardship on them’.

“Though we have ended the Monday sit-at-home in Enugu, it has already done enough damage to the people. 

“This new order will amount to emasculating the people of the Southeast economically. I think Ekpa only wanted to test our resolve to continue to be afraid of his violence. 

“I think today has shown that we can’t tolerate all that anymore”, a resident, Dr. Sly Okpala said.

Residents of Ebonyi as usual ignored the order and went about their normal activities.

Abakaliki, the state capital, witnessed a beehive of socio-economic activities as people went about their normal activities. 

The city was peaceful and the atmosphere was calm.

Security operatives were on patrol and also stationed at strategic points across the city.

Vehicular activities were also unhindered as commuters moved freely from one location to another.

At Kpirikpiri Market, transactions went on without restrictions. A trader described Ekpa’s order as wicked.

“Why would anybody ask people to stay at home for two whole weeks? What will people eat? Children are on holiday. How do we cope with their upkeep if we stay at home? 

“Next month they resume school. How do we make money to pay their fees if we stay at home for two weeks?” he queried.

Residents of Umuahia, the Abia capital, and their counterparts in Aba, the commercial nerve centre, also went about their day-to-day businesses.

Unlike Monday when people sat out of their shops, offices and business centres, schools opened for summer lessons, even as traders and other business outlets opened for transactions.

Banks and other public and private institutions were also opened for business.

Uniform personnel, including traffic wardens, who stayed away from their duty posts on Monday, were seen controlling traffic. 

Loading bays of commercial transport companies also opened for business.

Gates of major and roadside markets were open, and trading went on unhindered.

Some of the traders, Mr. Clement Nwaka and Mrs. Dorathy, however, complained of low patronage.

According to them, most of their customers come from neighbouring states and African countries, but because of the uncertainty of the sit-at-home, some of them could not come to the market, while others requested that their orders be weigh-billed to them.

They were confident their customers would start coming back before the week ran out.

Anambra for the first time ignored the sit-at-home order. While residents defied the order, security operatives took over the roads, with Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, leading the troops.

Except for the banks that failed to open, other businesses opened to customers. Vehicles plied the major cities of Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi and Ekwulobia.

It was gathered that Ihiala Local Government Area was partially grounded as residents feared attack by hoodlums. Communities like Lilu, Azia, Okija, Ihembosi, and Iseke, among others, have been under attack by miscreants for a long time.

A resident said there were skeletal human and vehicular movements in almost all the communities in Ihiala.

He said: “I just returned from Owerri today. While I was approaching the boundary between Imo and Anambra, I observed the absence of vehicles along the road. I only saw cars when I entered Nnewi.”

Meanwhile, Onitsha and its environs recorded about 35 per cent compliance compared to what it used to be before the present order. A tricycle operator, Okorocha Mkeme, who attributed the compliance to fear, expressed joy over Nnamdi Kanu’s counter announcement, using his handwriting to condemn Simon Ekpa and his criminal sit-at-home order.

He said: “Fear gripped the people because of the said criminal, Simon Ekpa, who lives in Finland and issues a weeks’ sit-at-home order to Southeast people. Simon Ekpa will never see a good thing in his life. People fear that he will send his boys to enforce the order because it is always an opportunity for them to attack, maim, rob, kidnap and assassinate their innocent Southeast brothers in the name of fighting to release Nnamdi Kanu.

“What saved the situation now is the personal counter announcement from Kanu, using his handwriting to condemn Ekpa and his criminal sit-at-home order. We thank whoever may have permitted Kanu to consult his doctor outside the DSS cell. 

“That assures us that if he is released, Ekpa’s hope of milking the people in the Southeast through enforcement of non-existent sit-at-home will be dashed.”

A trader in Nnewi also accused Ekpa of selfishness, saying he had wanted to take over IPOB leadership.

“His prayer is that Kanu will remain in DSS custody and possibly die there to enable him to overshadow other IPOB members and become the leader, but he has failed,” he said.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide called on the people to disregard the sit-at-home order.

It begged all sons and daughters of Igboland to go about their lawful businesses.

A statement by the President-General, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu in Enugu, condemned the order. 

He lamented that more than 250 people had died during enforcement of the order.

According to him, Ekpa’s latest action was unacceptable and must not be successful in Igboland.

The statement reads: “It is very disheartening that the Southeast is being subjected to hardships by the incessant call for sit-at-home.

“Unfortunately, several non-state actors, in an attempt to enforce the order, have unleashed mayhem on the people. As a result, several people have been killed, and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.

“The order has instilled fear and trepidation in the people, making it difficult for them to transact their lawful businesses on the days. The insecurity and unknown gunmen have been on the increase because of the order, and it’s sad to see that Ekpa has announced another two weeks of sit-at-home.

“It is very inconceivable that somebody will face the barrel of the gun inwards. It is very disturbing that at a time when the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is engaging Igbo entrepreneurs all over the world, on a think-home philosophy, a foreign-based Igbo is bent on destabilizing the home front. The youths of Igboland are urged to show maturity and understanding because the incessant sit-at-home is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. It is self-evident that the series of sit-at-home is affecting the social and economic life of the Igbo. Surely, it is not to the advantage of the Igbo youth.

“In addition, I invite Mr. Simon Ekpa and his group for a discussion and an opportunity to air their grievances.”

On the other hand, the joint security operatives sacked armed hoodlums from their camp inside a forest in Orsumoghu, Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said yesterday that the camp was invaded by on Monday following a tip-off.

According to him, five soldiers and two policemen sustained injuries from the IEDs detonated by the criminals.

He said: “The raid was done on Monday after troops were alerted to the violent activities of the irredentist group enforcing the illegal sit-at-home order in Onitsha, Nnewi and Iheme Obosi in Anambra State, as well as New Market in Enugu State.

“This is in the ongoing operations to deter enforcement of the illegal order. Combined troops of 82 Division, Nigerian Army, police and other security agencies successfully raided hideouts and training camps of the IPOB/ESN in Orsomoghu Forest, spanning Anambra and Imo states.

“Sadly, five soldiers and two policemen were injured, but we cleared the IPOB camps in Ekeututu, Orsomoghu, Lilu and Mother Valley. Troops came in contact with the group’s armed fighters, who detonated Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) also known as Ogbunigwe, and fired using a locally fabricated mortar tube.

“The troops however overpowered the irredentist group, compelling them to abandon their position and flee with gunshot injuries into nearby bushes. 

“Further cordon and search of the hideouts led to the arrest of five fleeing members of the group, and recovery of one IPOB flag, one CCTV camera, two detonated IED bombs and a fabricated mortar tube.”