According to a report by SaharaReporters, some masked gunmen helped to enforce the recent sit-at-home order given by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to South-East residents, SaharaReporters reports.
SaharaReporters learnt from sources that some armed men were going about beating and harassing South-East residents who dared to violate the sit-at-home order with cutlasses and long local guns.
The sit-at-home order was given to commemorate the Biafran Remembrance Day on Monday.
SaharaReporters also obtained a video where a commercial motorcyclist (popularly called Okada rider) was waylaid by the gunmen, suspected to be members of IPOB or its militant arm, Eastern Security Network (ESN) and beaten up before the gunmen also jumped on their motorcycles and ordered him to move.
In a 38-second video, the okada rider fell victim of the gunmen in a community in the South-East region, believed to be in Imo State.
“Stop there. You dey craze. Get down,” one of the men yelled. “Sorry sir, sorry sir,” the motorcyclists were heard begging in the video.
SaharaReporters had reported on Sunday that the IPOB’s sit-at-home order was flouted in parts of Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi while it was effective in some other areas.
There was partial compliance in parts of Enugu, Umuahia, Aba, visited on Saturday and Sunday.
From Idaw River to Uwani in Enugu South Local Government Area, to Coal Camp, New Market, to Edinburgh Road, Ogui Road, where Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium is located in Enugu North Local Government Area, to New Haven, Independence Layout, Garki and other places, people were seen moving about their normal businesses without fear. Traders opened shops in several markets.
“Ordinarily, a newcomer in Enugu may think that people not moving about in the early hours of Saturday indicated compliance, but in fact, residents of the town are simply complying with the monthly sanitation programme of the Enugu State Government.
“Therefore, there is nothing like sit-at-home order,” said Mr Ikenna Anichukwu, a teacher and resident of Obiagu Road.
Tricycle operators, business owners, timber market, commercial bus drivers, all the inter-state motor parks, were fully operational without obstruction.
But in Owerri, the Imo State capital and surrounding communities, there was full enforcement of the sit-at-home order.
The sit-at-home paralysed economic and social activities as residents remained indoors, fearing possible clashes between IPOB members and the security agencies.
Aside from the presence of the military and police force, while people kept away from the popular Ekeukwu Owerri Market and the timber market in Naze.
A commercial motorist, Okechukwu Nnaji, said motorists started experiencing poor patronage from commuters from May 28.
“As I speak with you, I have not made N2,000 for three days now, I normally make N8,000 daily,” he had said.