Reprieve is finally coming the way of businesses in Eastern Nigeria, the hotbed of the broadening Biafra agitation as Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) announces that its weekly Monday sit-at-home order is no longer in force.
Before now, governors of the region made failed attempts to break the IPOB sit-at-home order in the area. An emergency security meeting was even held in Enugu, Enugu State last October convened to discuss the security crisis in the region, which many believe is caused by the pro-Biafra group.
The sit-at-home order, which was observed every Monday in Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Abia, and Ebonyi states, continuously disrupted the economic and social activities in the region.
The order was meant to put pressure on the Buhari administration to release the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is standing trial in Abuja for alleged terrorism.
“The meeting condemned the sit-at-home orders, which are mostly issued by our people in diaspora who do not feel the pains, the meeting resolved that Governors and all (the) people of the South-east do everything within the law to ensure that there is no further sit-at-home in the South-east and that the people are allowed to freely move about in the zone”, the governors said in the communique.
While the governors condemned the killings in the region and agreed to support security agencies to restore peace, they agreed that all the states in the South-east should pass a law before the end of 2021 to give legal backing to the setting up of a joint security outfit, Ebubeagu, in the region.
The meeting of the governors and other leaders from the region came a few days after Chike Akunyili, the husband of the late boss of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dora Akunyili, was brutally killed by gunmen in Anambra State.
There was suspicion that IPOB is responsible for Mr Akunyili’s killing, even though the group has denied its involvement. But, two days after the killing, some unidentified gunmen launched a deadly attack on a divisional police station in the state.
The governors resolved to support the conduct of the just concluded Anambra governorship election, and called on security agencies to ensure that the election is peaceful.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State hosted the meeting which had Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State in attendance. Abia State was represented by the Deputy Governor, Ude Chukwu.
National Assembly members from the region, former governors, and a former chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, traditional and religious leaders also attended the meeting which was held behind closed doors in the Government House, Enugu.
However, IPOB’sSspokesperson, Emma Powerful, says anyone found to be enforcing the sit-at-home order across Eastern Nigeria is an enemy of the region. He urged Ndigbo go about their normal businesses, adding that anyone caught enforcing the order would be treated as an enemy of the region.
In a statement, Powerful said, ‘’we the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), wish to reiterate once again that IPOB has cancelled the Monday sit-at-home order and anybody or group enforcing the relaxed order is neither from IPOB nor from IPOB volunteer groups.”
The IPOB spokesperson advised the people to ignore anybody enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home order and go about their normal businesses henceforth, insisting that those enforcing the cancelled order has intention of blackmailing the group and set the movement against the people.
“Anyone caught adding to the pain of our people in the name of enforcing Monday’s sit-at-home order will be treated as the enemy that he or she is. We, therefore, warn these agents of darkness using the name of IPOB to enforce a non-existent sit-at-home to desist because if we lay hold on them they will eternally regret their evil actions.
“Why should such unpatriotic elements be inflicting pain on our people and dragging our image to the mud? IPOB remains a non-violent movement and our peaceful approach for Biafra restoration has not changed”, he said.
Powerful, therefore, urged community, market, and church leaders, including constituted authorities to arrest anyone enforcing the sit-at-home order in Eastern Nigeria.
