By Kenneth Onuoha
365Daily – Despite the suspension of the sit-at-home order issued by the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, was a ghost town on Monday, August 23, 2021, as residents and business owners stayed away from the streets.
The Spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, had, in a chat with journalists over the weekend, reiterated that “indefinite” suspension of the sit-at –home order across the Southeast states remained in force and warned that no one should molest any resident who goes about their legitimate businesses.
According to Powerful: “There is no sit at home on Monday, that’s today. It has been suspended by IPOB leadership and DOS. Anybody seen disturbing people should be arrested.”
However, 365Daily correspondent who went round the Ebonyi capital city, Abakaliki, gathered that all the banks in the city were closed, while other private business premises were under lock and key.
There was, however, no form of enforcement of the order by any IPOB member in the state.
In a radio announcement monitored by 365Daily, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information and State orientation, Barr. Uchenna Orji stated that the government of the state would revoke the ownership of any business premises that refuses to open for business.
However, residents of the state, including civil servants, did not take the government threat serious as they chose to stay indoors.
The “observation” of the sit-at-home order has been widely strict in the state after several persons were reportedly killed for violating the order in various parts of three weeks ago.