By Moses Okorie
365Daily – South East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo were on Monday, May 31, 2021, grounded following the sit-at-home order declared by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in commemoration of the Nigeria/Biafra civil war that started on May 30, 1967.
Commercial activities came to a standstill in Owerri the Imo state capital as residents deserted its streets and roads in compliance with the sit-at-home order issued by its leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Recall that IPOB, through its Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, had said human and vehicular movement would be restricted across the South-East on Monday to mark the 54th anniversary of Biafra. As a result, it said all markets, parks, schools, airports and others would be shut down.
365Daily gathered that commercial banks, schools, shops, malls, were all shut in Owerri on Monday morning. Commercial and private vehicles were also rarely seen on the roads in the state capital as residents feared of falling victim.
Also, residents of Onitsha and Nnewi both in Anambra State complied fully with the directive. All business activities were shot down, all markets were under lock and key, public and private secondary and primary schools were shot down, government offices and banks were also not opened for businesses, petrol and gas filling stations were closed down as streets totally deserted.
The ever-busy Onitsha Enugu expressway of the Onitsha end of the Niger Bridge leading to Awka, the Onitsha Owerri road expressway, leading to Owerri, the Nnewi Okigwe expressway, the Onitsha Asaba expressway from the Asaba end of the Niger Bridge were all ghost of themselves as no single vehicular movement was seen.
There was however presence of stern-looking Army and Navy at both ends of Niger Bridge Head and Oga junction by Atani road respectively, ensuring that there is no breakdown of law and orders by criminal elements.
Although the movement of people were restricted as soldiers ensured that people who unavoidably needed to move round, like journalists, doctors, nurses, and people on essential duties were asked to properly identify themselves before they were allowed to move to their respective.
In Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State, there was total compliance to this year’s sit-at-home is in sharp contrast to previous editions which recorded partial compliance in the city. Schools had sent notices to parents they will not open.
Reporters who went round the state to monitor and observe the sit-at-home gathered that the major markets, banks, parks, schools in Enugu metropolis were deserted and abandoned.
Ogbete main market, New market, Kenyeta market, Gariki were deserted. Schools, Parks like Onitsha South mass transit, GOU, Young, Ifesinachi, Royal mass transit, Banks, and shopping malls like Shoprite visited were deserted 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, everywhere looked deserted, as people were not seen moving in pairs while commercial buses and tricycle riders were nowhere to be seen.
There was total compliance of the sit-at-home today ordered by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Uchenna Madu led Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) in Abia State.
In Umuahia the state capital, unlike what was during last year’s sit-at-home order, there was total compliance as streets were deserted in the morning hours of the day. Shops, markets and public institutions including banks and schools were shut as everybody stayed at home.
Umuahia is hometown of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who hails from Afara Ukwu.
Reports from Aba and Ohafia show that compliance in the two urban areas were total. Shops, markets, banks and schools in the cities were firmly locked from any form of activity. Vehicles were off the streets in the areas as the roads were deserted as people stay at home to observe the order.