Our Reporters
The sit-at-home ordered by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), yesterday, to honour their fallen heroes, recorded huge success in some parts of South East and partial compliance in others.
In the commercial city of Aba, Abia State, there was total compliance despite assurances given by the military and police that people should go about their normal businesses.
Although there was slight vehicular movement in the early hours, later in the day, few commercial vehicles seen on some of the roads disappeared and the streets became ghost areas. Business activities were totally grounded.
Although gates of major markets in Ariaria International Market, Ekeoha shopping Centre, Cemetery, Alaoji spare parts Market, Ehere and Ngwa road Markets were opened, there were no traders or customers in sight.
The situation was same in other markets including Jubilee Road spare parts market, St. Michael’s Road phone and computer accessories market shops. They were placed under lock and key.
Banks and schools were also shut as teachers and students stayed at home where some were seen playing football on the adjoining road.
The roads in the city were deserted and people were seen trekking to their destinations with several trucks of security personnel patrolling the streets while others were stationed at strategic places.
Meanwhile, the younger brother of the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, Prince Emma Kanu has commended residents of Aba for complying with the sit-at-home order.
He said the IPOB leadership was not surprised at the total compliance in Aba and other places.
He said his brother and other leaders of pro-Biafra group were emboldened by such massive support, and assured that no efforts will be spared to ensure the state of Biafra is achieved.
Pro-Biafran groups, Biafra Reformation Movement (BRM) and Awake and Defend Action Movement (ADAM) organised a symposium to mark the day.
The groups gathered in Aba, and discussed new way forward in the struggle for Biafra restoration.
The groups stormed the industrial community in their thousands as early as 4:30am to ensure total compliance of the order.
Eyewitnesses said the Biafra agitators comprising IPOB, Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and others, were at Ibeto Junction, Nnewi a few minutes to 5am. They reportedly marched towards Owerri Road, armed with machetes, sticks and other weapons.
Mr. Eze Chukwu, Daily Sun’s Sales Executive was nearly mobbed at Nnewi outstation by the agitators.
“Our driver informed me that our newspaper (Daily Sun) had arrived, so, I hurried to our distributing point. On my way, I ran into a large number of pro-Biafra agitators near First Bank Junction and there was no way for me to escape. They circled me and said they suspected me to be a police officer because I have no beards, which I denied. I told them I work with The Sun Newspapers, but they didn’t believe me. Some of them raised their clubs to hit me. I begged them to follow me to where parcels of our newspapers were packed to be convinced. They did and saw the parcels. They then asked me to run away,” Chukwu narrated.
The rampaging pro-Biafra groups also attacked a vehicle with registration number: CL 163 BEN, at Nnewi Roundabout. They smashed the wind and rear screens and injured its occupants.
At NITEL Junction, a patrol van said to belong to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with registration number: AWK 750 BF was grounded and the occupants attacked with an unconfirmed report that four of the operatives were seriously wounded and hospitalised.
At NITEL Junction, a commercial bus and its occupants were attacked. Driver of the bus, Jude Malike, said they were attacked as he was returning with his passengers around 6am from Ekwulobia after a vigil.
He said one of them hit him with a cutlass and attacked his passengers, who jumped out of the bus and ran for dear lives. Malike said his four tyres were punctured.
Most of the motor parks were deserted, just as the Eke Awka Market was not opened, though some who sell along the road in front of the market resumed business after 9am.
Some of the schools that were opened had few pupils and students while government offices and banks were opened in the city.
A visit to the state secretariat, revealed that few workers turned up, same as in other government parastatals, while at the state High Court complex, only about two courts were in session when Daily Sun visited.
The ever busy Aroma Junction was free of the usual logjam of both vehicular and human traffic, while the Star Sunny and Ekwulobia Mass, Onitsha park within the junction were deserted.
With the heavy presence of police personnel and trucks all around strategic points in the state capital, some private shop owners began to open at about 11am, though many shops and offices remained closed because of religious obligations of the owners who belong to the Roman Catholic faith that do not work on Ascension Day, which coincided with the date of the sit-at-home this year.
Onitsha, the commercial centre of Anambra was in total lockdown in compliance with the order. Markets, schools and banks were shutdown.
The Onitsha Main Market, Ochanja Market, Ogbaru Relief Market, New spare parts Market, Nkpor, old spare parts market, Obosi, building material market Ogidi were shutdown.
Chairman of Onitsha Main Market, Chief Ikechukwu Ekwegbalu lamented that traders lost over N 100 million for shutting down.
But theexercise flopped in Imo State, as most of the markets and schools were open for business.
Traders at the popular Alaba Market, Naze Road, came out as early as possible to transact their businesses. Also, the ancient Eke-Onuwa Market was agog.
Meanwhile, the order by the Igbo separatist group was a clog in the wheel of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), which had earlier slated its cultural day celebration for same day in Owerri. The order totally disorganised the fiesta.
Publicity Secretary of OYC, Chinonso Alozie told Daily Sun that the Igbo youth group, on Wednesday evening, held a gala night to usher in the cultural day, but were eventually disappointed.
In Ebonyi, it was a partial compliance. Between 6:30am and 7am, human and vehicular movements had commenced in various parts of Abakaliki, the state capital.
When Daily Sun visited Abakpa Market, Mechanic Village, Kpirikpiri Market, and others, business activities were ongoing. Also, there were human and vehicular movements along Afikpo, Ogoja, Waterworks Roads, and others even as academic activities were ongoing in various schools in the state.
Also, the order failed in Enugu State. Daily Sun, gathered that major markets in the capital were opened for business.
Although, the markets; Ogbete Main Market, New Market, Coal Camp Motor Spare Parts Market, Artisan Market, Garriki Market and Mayo Market were opened for businesses, most of the shops were under lock.
While public schools were open, most private schools declared yesterday public holiday instead of Wednesday declared by the Feder al Government.
The order failed in Asaba, the Delta State capital. Business owners, schools and corporate organisations ignored the order by IPOB, as people went about their lawful duties unmolested.
Activities at the popular Ogbonogono Market along Nnebisi Road were in full swing at about noon after traders had earlier observed the daily sanitation rule imposed by local authorities.
Movement was not restricted as commercial vehicles were on the road to convey passengers to their respective destinations.
The order failed in Asaba, the Delta State capital. Business owners, schools and corporate organisations ignored the order by IPOB, as people went about their lawful duties unmolested.
Activities at the popular Ogbonogono Market along Nnebisi Road were in full swing at about noon after traders had earlier observed the daily sanitation rule imposed by local authorities.
Movement was not restricted as commercial vehicles were on the road to convey passengers to their respective destinations.
Speaking on the development, a native of Asaba, Douglas Chukwurah said such an order “cannot and will never work in this part of the country which is the Niger Delta or South South.
However, the ever busy Benin-Asaba-Onitsha Expressway witnessed scanty vehicular traffic apparently for the compliance in the East.
Even commercial buses going to Onitsha from Asaba did not work as a result of lack of passengers, who had first information that shops on Onitsha might be closed for the day.