Residents of five states in the Southeast geo-political zone have embarked on panic buying of foodstuff and other essentials to stockpile their households to beat the rumored four days Sit-At-Home order by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra across the states on the zone.
This is as members of the proscribed group on Saturday said there would be four days sit-at-home protest in the South-East no sit at home to mark Nnamdi Kanu’s appearances in court next week.
The social media have been awash with reports and warning on residents to prepare themselves for the four-day order between Monday and Thursday next week.
The latest development appears a new twist in IPOB’s activities since the arrest, detention, and arraignment before the Federal High Court of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Observations point to the fact that IPOB members have never been consistent in keeping with their acclaimed suspension of the biting and controversial Sit-At-Home directives on residents of the five Southeast states of the country.
The sit-at-home order had at several times led to conflicts between security agencies and members of the group even as many innocent lives have been killed and properties valued at millions of lives wasted in the process.
Besides, billions of naira have been lost following the constant closure of markets, malls, shops by traders and market women as well as filling stations, event centers, and other business outlets with attendant crippling of the economy of the affected states.
The plight of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in the detention camp of the Department of State Services (DSS), Abuja, has been of grave concern to concerned Southeast leaders and elders who recently paid a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on him to release Kanu unconditionally.
Buhari had during his live interview last week declared that there would be a political solution to Mazi Kanu’s case as there was already a suit on treasonable felony, terrorism and other charges against him are pending before the court and therefore the case should be allowed to run its full course.
However, IPOB in a statement by the Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, stated that there would be one sit-at-home observance on the 18th of January.
He said the decision to observe one stay-at-home for its leader was in order not to compound the pains of the people of the area.
The IPOB statement said,” Following our Leader’s upcoming court proceedings on the 18th, 19th, and 20th of January 2022 next week, we wish to remind Biafrans that there will be only sit-at-home on 18th of January, and not 19th and 20th of January. In keeping with our avowed solidarity with our Leader, the entire Biafra land will be on lockdown only on January 18 for obvious reasons.”
“Biafrans should understand that 19th January is the judgment day in the suit by our Leader against the Federal Government which is pending before an Umuahia High Court. So, there will be no sit-at-home on that day.”
“Again, we don’t want to compound the pains of our people, hence, we will limit the sit-at-home to only January 18. Biafrans and residents of Biafra are free to go about their businesses without molestations on 19th and 20th January. Anybody found enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home on 17th, 19th and 20th is criminal and must treat as such, IPOB leadership have given order and that order is what signed.”
Emma Powerful cautioned that “Everybody must be careful because these waves that are coming will consume many and every principal of IPOB mostly the coordinators must know that it will bounce on their heads if they don’t checkmate the activities of members and call them to order. IPOB is not a village or social club where everybody will behave untowardly to people like cultists.”
“It is on the table and to the knowledge of IPOB leadership how some principal officers were encouraging evils in IPOB without minding the repercussions and consequences but we want to make categorically known to them that it will come back to him or her that encouraged evil against his or her fellow human beings
IPOB added that “For clarity sake, we reiterate that there will be no sit-at-home on January 19th and 20th. Nobody is expected to interfere with either human or vehicular movements in those days under any guise. Any detractor or agent of darkness caught obstructing people’s activities in Biafra land on January 19th and 20th in the name of enforcing sit-at-home will regret his or her actions.
“We realize that some unscrupulous and traitors are trying to create confusion about these days and dishing false information and propaganda trying to create confusion in Biafra land. IPOB never declared sit at home on 19th and 20th of January 2022. Therefore, we want all Biafrans to go to their normal business on these days without fear.
“Anybody issuing order for sit-at-home on 19th and 20th of January is not a member of IPOB. Such persons are working against the interest of our leader and the entire struggle for independence. They should be disregarded.
“For the umpteenth time, IPOB is under one Central command and control and doesn’t have parallel or factional leadership. The Directorate of State (DOS) under the command of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is in charge of the global movement of IPOB. Anybody who is not loyal to DOS is an impostor and should be disregarded.
“We expect our people everywhere to adhere to this directive and refuse to be misled by sacked members of IPOB in Europe and America. IPOB remains unshakeable, built and rooted on the rock, and will remain so until the freedom for Biafra is fully achieved.
