Suspected enforcers of IPOB’s sit-at-home burn truck of spare parts in Enugu

• Fear behind residents’ compliance with the directive, says Umahi
• Kanu’s lawyer slams N50m suit against DSS over alleged rights abuse

Persons suspected to be enforcers of the suspended sit-at-home order imposed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), yesterday, set ablaze a truck loaded with auto spare parts in Enugu State.

Sources said the incident at Eluagu Obukpa, Nsukka Local Council happened about 7:00 a.m. It was learned that the arsonists, who arrived in a Sienna minivan, forced the trailer to a stop before razing the vehicle and its contents.

The source, however, could not say whether the hoodlums were IPOB members: “I don’t know if they were IPOB members. They were not wearing anything depicting them as members of the group but they were shouting, ‘No movement today! You must sit at home!’” The source added that nobody was killed and that the driver escaped.

By the time men of the Enugu Fire Service raced to the scene, goods estimated to be worth millions of naira had already been destroyed.

Spokesman of the Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, said: “Information surrounding a truck found on fire this morning at Eluagu Obukpa in Nsukka LGA is sketchy, as the Command is yet to receive any formal report of the incident. We have, however, commenced a preliminary investigation.”

The sit-at-home, which had hitherto been cancelled, has continued every Monday in the state, as IPOB members insist on hearing directly from their detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

Also, in Imo State, many residents in different parts of the 27 local councils, stayed indoors, yesterday.

This came as Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi explained that residents have continued to comply with the order because of fear.

Umahi, who spoke to newsmen shortly after he met with President Muhammadu Buhari at State House, Abuja, warned that unless the matter is addressed, the region could become economically bankrupt.

Meanwhile, Maxwell Opara, one of Kanu’s lawyers, has slammed an N50 million suit against the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged rights violation.

The counsel, in the suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/1018/2021), is praying the court to award him the sum as compensation for the infringement of his rights to dignity and human person, which allegedly occurred when he was invited to the agency’s detention facility.

He is also demanding a written apology by the respondents to be published in two national dailies.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.