The Sit-at-home order declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, witnessed a total compliance by residents of Onitsha the commercial city, and Nnewi,the industrial town of Anambra State.
At about 7.30 am when Vanguard drove from Onitsha to Nnewi, no vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles were seen on the roads, particularly, the Oba New and Old roads, the Onitsha Owerri road and Obosi Nkpor roads, as shops, filling stations, schools and banks were all under locks and keys, while people were seen in cluster discussing.
The Edo Ezemewi road Nnewi where almost all the banks in Nigeria have branches was deserted as banks were all locks and keys and the popular Nkwo Nnewi Market was locked, with stern looking security men mounting guards at the entry and exit gates.
In Onitsha all the markets, schools, shops and other business outfits were all locked, while all the Federal and state government establishments, banks and other financial institutions were shut for business, and even the shops on the smallest streets in Onitsha were closed, while beans cake (Akara) bakers were busy making brisk business as people clustered round them at Upper New market road, eating and discussing the activity of the day.
The Onitsha Owerri express way, the Asaba Onitsha expressway and the Onitsha Enugu express way were all ghost of themselves as all vehicular movement, movement of tricycles, motorcycles, and human traffic were not seen there.
Security agents in their patrol vehicles, particularly, the Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps, were seen patrolling round the streets of Onitsha and Nnewi, while many Police men were seen with their vehicles at some strategic points in Onitsha.
The Army was seen at the usual check points at the entry into Onitsha and exit to Asaba, of Niger Bridge Head, while Police from Fegge Division were drafted to the Bridge Head by the Divisional Police Officer Mr. Rabiu Garba, to give helping hand to the Army at the bridge to ensure peace there, Navy Officials werte equally seen at the usual check point at Atani road Junction Onitsha, mounting guard.
The police were see mounting guards at different location at the Upper Iweka axis of Onitsha, Okpoko Junction, Ziks Roundabout, New Parts Fly Over Nkpor, Metallurgical Training Institute, Onitsha Owerri road, Oba New road junction of Onitsha Owerri road and Oba Oraifite road of the Onitsha Owerri expressway.
Inside Onitsha, the, the popular roads and streets, as Awka road, Upper New Market road, Old Market and New Market roads, Oguta road, Old Enugu road, Kirk road, Modebe road, Onitsha Nsugbe and Onitsha Nkwelle Ezunaka roads, were all deserted and shops and business premises in the area all closed for the day. Coordinator of MASSOB in Anambra State, Mr. Augustine Egbeh who called Vanguard on phone, from Ogidi, and the Secretary of MASSOB in the State, Mr. Joseph Nnaji thanked the people of the state for complying with the Sit-at home directive, saying that he is so happy that so far there has not been any casualty.
On whether they are being harassed by the security agents in the state, Mr. Egbeh said “security men did not see anybody on the street, so whom will they harass, we are not protesting on the street, everybody is sitting at home so there is nobody to harass intimidate or kill.”
Egbeh and Nnaji however commended the Army who they said have conducted themselves professionally, thereby giving hope that the civil military relationship is being imbibed by the Army in Onitsha and called on Army in other states of the Federation to emulate the peaceful conduct of the Army in Onitsha.
“Today we have seen the new Army in Onitsha patrolling round the town, not harassing, intimidating or shooting anybody, they have conducted themselves in a professional manner, and they know that we will not accept them coming to harass people in their homes.”
At Old Market road Onitsha, it was jubilation galore when some elders and youths who gathered, discussing Biafra struggle activities, sited four reporters from AFP from Abuja to monitor the celebration, taking photographs of the roads and streets that were deserted.
They chanted pro Nnamdi Kanu and Uchenna Madu songs, to the three male and one female AFP reporters, who took their photographs and recorded their comments, one of them who spoke to the press alleged that “the presence of the foreign media outfits in Onitsha scare away the security agents who by now would have been shooting us by now, they saw you people presence in Onitsha and vanished from the roads they have been parading along for over one week now.
(Vanguard)
