Despite warnings and statements from the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) that Monday’s sit-at-home is cancelled and that it’s only on January 18 that IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, would appear in court the sit-at-home order would be observed, still, business and social activities were crippled in Enugu on Monday.
Residents stayed at home, banks, schools, markets, shops were all closed in Enugu metropolis.
There were skeletal vehicular movements along Enugu-Abakiliki express road as well as the Enugu -Port Harcourt express road, with offices, shops, workshops closed.
Most roads in the metroplis were deserted.
It was a different case in Udenu local government area where some traders opened their shops and were chased out.
There was pandemonium in Obollo-Afor, Udenu Local Government Area of the state when masked gunmen, enforcing the sit-at-home order, attacked residents of the community for disobeying the order.
It was gathered that the incident happened around 8am.
The masked gunmen who came in motorcycles, were seen flogging traders who opened shops, destroyed their wares and asked them to go home.
They allegedly set ablaze a tricycle after discharging its passengers and pushing away the owner.
The hoodlums destroyed a Sienna vehicle belonging to the Udenu Central Neighbourhood Watch.
An eyewitness said that a military team arrived at the town around 8:30am , patrolling the town to ensure that normalcy is restored.
It was also gathered that members of the Udenu Central Neighbourhood Watch took to their heels on sighting the gunmen before their vehicle was destroyed.
IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, in a statement on Sunday, said that the sit-at- home order will only be observed on Tuesday when Kanu’s case would be heard at the Federal High Court, Umuahia, but residents complied with the Monday sit-at-home order to avoid being attacked.
Some complied in solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu and to show their grievances with the Federal Government’s arrest and continued detention of the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
