IPOB declares sit-at-home tomorrow to back Kanu

•As Imo residents embark on panic buying, express confusion over conflicting orders
•S’East may experience four-day disruptions

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared sit-at-home on January 18, 2022 to solidarise with its leader Nnamdi Kanu as the Umuahia High Court hears Kanu’s fundamental human rights enforcement suit against the Federal Government.

A statement issued by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, hinted that Biafrans would back Kanu on January 19 and 20 when he would attend the Justice Binta Nyako Federal High Court Abuja sittings, but they would not observe sit-at-home on those days.

“Following our leader’s upcoming court appearances on January 18, 19 and 20, 2022, we wish to remind Biafrans that there will be sit-at-home on January 18 and not January 19 and 20. In keeping with our solidarity with Kanu, the entire Biafra land will be on lockdown only on January 18 for obvious reasons.

“Biafrans should understand that January 19 is the judgment day in our leader’s suit against the Federal Government, which is pending before an Umuahia High Court. So, there will be no sit-at-home 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 the South East should go about their businesses without molestation on January 19 and 20, 2022. Anybody found enforcing sit-at-home on 17th, 19th and 20th is criminal and should be treated as such, because IPOB leadership has given an order, which was duly signed,” the statement reads.

BESIDES, following the sit-at-home order in the five states of the South East region in solidarity with Kanu, residents of the 27 councils of Imo State thronged the markets and sales outlets at the weekend to buy their foodstuff and other necessary needs for the period.

This is in sharp contrast with the group’s statement that the order would only take place on January 18 before Kanu’s court appearance the next day.
But the residents in the state were allegedly brain washed by the messages posted on social media and side / group discussions that the order would be observed from Monday, January 17 through Thursday, January 20.

Powerful, who had clarified in a statement, that the sit-at-home order would only be enforced on January 18 in Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi states, of Igbo land, reminded the people that IPOB had since stopped the Monday sit-at-home order, insisting that non-members of the group had hijacked the directive for their selfish reasons.

The Guardian observed unusual human traffic in markets and shops mostly at Relief, Ekeukwu and other markets and shops struggling to buy items that would sustain them for the period.

Some buyers told The Guardian that they were confused since there were violent enforcers, who were bent on destroying property and killing people on Mondays.