By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Most parts of the five states in the South East geopolitical zone of Nigeria were Monday and Tuesday turned into ghost towns as residents shunned the clarion calls of the state governments and security agencies to go about their normal businesses without fear of molestation.
As it has become accustomed to the people of the South East in the recent years, a two-day sit-at-home spanning Monday, October 21 and Tuesday, October 22 was declared by the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), although the group through its Media and Publicity Officer, Emma Powerful has denied involvement.
But in the face of the confusion, residents of the South East geopolitical zone stayed away from their offices and work place despite the call by their governors to go about their normal businesses.
In Anambra state, calls by Governor Chukwuma Soludo that businesses should open on Monday and Tuesday fell on deaf ears as residents rather obeyed the sit-at-home order while the roads were deserted.
A resident of Owerri, the Imo state capital Chief Nwabueze Odenigbo confirmed that the streets have been empty as residents shunned the call by government to show up in the offices, schools and business premises for fear of being attacked by hoodlums.
Said he: “Owerri is understandably under lock and keys as residents have stayed at home to observe the development. We are been traumatised frequently now because of the incessant lock down called sit-at-home. Yesterday we could not do our businesses and today again, we have not gone out of our houses. This is what we are suffering in the South East for some time now”.
Prompt News reports that the situation was the same in Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia states where the major roads and streets were empty as residents stayed indoors to avoid been caught in a cross fire as it has happened several times since the arrest, detention and prosecution of the IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu many years ago.
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