Operatives of the Nigerian Army have been deployed in number to Enugu State ahead of the Monday sit-at-home order directed by Finland-based Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa.
As seen in a video uploaded on social media by a Twitter(now known as X) influencer @DejiAdesogun, at least 15 military trucks could be seen on the streets of Enugu(locationundisclosed).
Punch Metro reported that the governor, Peter Mbah, declared an end to the sit-at-home order of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, a directive which has been disregarded by the proscribed group, with orders from Finland-based Simon Ekpa, as IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu remains in the detention of the Nigerian government.
“We are losing over N10 billion every Monday that we sit at home. Enough is enough. This foolishness must end now.
“We cannot be marginalising ourselves and still complain of marginalisation. We must say no to sit-at-home because what it means is that we are destroying our employment, our economy and our Gross Domestic Product,” he said.
While urging traders to return back to their businesses, he also assured the business people that his administration would continue to provide adequate security on Mondays.
IPOB, in August 2021, introduced a sit-at-home order every Monday across the South-east to put pressure on the Nigerian government to release its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu who is facing terrorism trial.
The separatist group later suspended the order, in preference for it to be implemented only on the days Mr Kanu appears in court.
However, in spite of its suspension, the residents of the five South-eastern states, namely Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, and Anambra, have been adhering to the Monday sit-at-home directive, primarily driven by apprehension.
The Indigenous People of Biafra has consistently disavowed the Monday sit-at-home initiative in the region, asserting that individuals who continue to implement this directive are engaging in criminal activities aimed at extorting the separatist organisation.
Ekpa has continued to declare the sit-at-home orders in the region despite its suspension by the IPOB faction led by Mr Kanu.
IPOB is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra, which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of the south-south Nigeria.
Recently Nnamdi Kanu had declared that the people of the south east should ignore the call for sit-at-home as directed by Ekpa.
He warned that anyone enforcing sit-at-home in the southeast is not his disciple and should be made to face the wrath of the law.
In a letter addressed to Ekpa, which was made public on Friday by his Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu was quoted saying: “Simon, this is a direct order from me. I hereby instruct you to desist from calling for any sit-at-home henceforth. Equally, refrain from antagonising governors or persons in political positions because you are not in a position to know what they are doing on my behalf.
“I am ordering you to make a public announcement to the effect that you are in receipt of a direct order from me to cancel any pending sit-at-home in place at the moment.
“I embarked on this movement to liberate our people, not to enslave them. I despise and will despise any person or entity that wishes to inflict unnecessary hardship on our people. I have authorised Aloy to issue a press statement if you fail to make this announcement on your platform.
“Anybody still engaging in sit-at-home is not my disciple. Haters of Biafra and mindless murderers in uniform are hiding under the cover of combating enforcers of Sit-at-Home to unleash mayhem against the same people we swore to defend.
“I have sent countless messages to those purportedly enforcing sit-at-home that they are not doing so in my name. I am not begging anybody to release me, just that Nigeria should have the decency to obey their own laws.”
