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Tag: sit-at-home

Gov Mbah Bans Monday Sit-At-Home In Enugu
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has banned the sit-at-home order in the state while calling on President Bola Tinubu to release the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.
Mbah made this known while briefing journalists on the outcome of his first security council meeting with the heads of all the security agencies at the Government House, Enugu State.
The sit-at-home, declared in the South-East to press for Kanu’s release, the governor noted, has impeded economic activities.
“Consequently, from Monday, June 6, 2023, there will be no observance of any sit-at-home in all nooks and crannies of Enugu State,” he said on Thursday.
Governor Mbah noted that his “government will enforce this with all the powers at its disposal”.
While assuring stakeholders of dialogue, the governor urged Enugu residents “to take back our sense of industry, pride of place and re-enact our glorious past. By heeding this call, you would have set us on the path of actualising our mandate”.
Calling on President Tinubu to release Kanu to quicken the much-needed healing process in Nigeria, he said the development will be a stretching of hands of fellowship to the South-East region.
“Let me also call on our newly sworn-in president, His Excellency Bola Tinubu, to consciously work towards the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. We believe that his release will expedite the healing process Nigeria needs at this time,” Governor Mbah said. “It will also be a pointer to his administration’s extension of brotherly hands of fellowship to Ndigbo.”
Kanu has been in detention since 2021 and despite repeated pleas for his release, the government of the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari failed to do so.
June 2, 2023
Sit-At-Home Delayed Completion Of Second Niger Bridge – Fashola
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola on Wednesday stated that the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) contributed immensely to the seeming delay in completion of the Second Niger Bridge project.
Fashola made this disclosure when he appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
He said, “These dates keep shifting and people must remember that on the eastern side, our contractors have not been able to work on Mondays for almost two years and that has affected the completion date.”
According to him, while construction workers work on Saturdays, a 52-day loss cannot easily be made up for in construction work.
The minister further asserted that certain other challenges liken relocating transmission lines connecting the East to the West across the Niger River, contributed to days lost and added to the snag that affected the early completion of the bridge within the time earlier stipulated.
Speaking on finishing the last 4km stretch of the road in four months, Mr Fashola said the construction is taking place in a marshland and as such, there is great need for dredging and sand filling, process which he says cannot be rushed.
He emphasized that the reason the ministry and its contractors have made great progress on the road so far, is because they have employed the use of Prefabricated Vertical Drains which accelerate settlement and drainage and as such, workers can start building quicker than would ordinarily have been expected.
The minister however promised that the new target date to deliver a perfectly completed Second-Niger Bridge will be April/May 2023, adding that inevitably the bridge will be tolled to ensure that it is maintained to serve Nigerians for many years.
December 21, 2022
Sit-at-home: Gunmen kill pregnant woman, others in Enugu
Three persons, including a pregnant woman, were killed in Enugu on Saturday by hoodlums enforcing Simon Ekpa’s five-day sit-at-home order in the South East.
Our correspondent gathered that a pregnant woman, whose identity could not be immediately ascertained, was killed by a stray bullet at New Market during a gun duel between the hoodlums and policemen.
Sources said that a bullet hit the woman who came for early morning market where she hid in a store.
A viral video seen by our correspondent showed two yet-to-be identified victims lying lifeless in front of the Enugu University Teaching Hospital, Parklane in a pool of blood.
The victims were said to have also been shot by the hoodlums.
Although the details of the attack were not ready available, a senior police officer confirmed the attack to our correspondent.
He however, noted that no policeman was killed, adding that a manhunt had been launched for the hoodlums.
A short video clip of the incident, which our correspondent obtained, shows a white police patrol vehicle on fire.
It was gathered that the hoodlums, numbering over 10, stormed the New Market area as early as 6am, probably to shut down the market but they were confronted by policemen patrolling the market area to reassure traders of their safety.
They were reported to have engaged the policemen in a gun duel and eventually succeeded in setting ablaze the police patrol vehicle while the operatives fled.
An eyewitness, Mike Ezeh, said, “I saw a group of boys around 6am this morning shouting at traders coming to market to go home. They were shouting, ‘Don’t you know there’s sit-at-home? Why are you disobeying it?’
“Shortly, I saw a police patrol vehicle coming and immediately, they engaged them in a shootout. I left my goods and ran to safety. After the shooting stopped I came out and saw they had set ablaze the police patrol vehicle parked in front of Colliery Hospital.”
Reacting to the attack, the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ammani, ordered Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and Commanders of all the Tactical/Operational Units of the Command to ensure maximum deployment of all the command’s intelligence and operational resources under their watch, to effectively patrol and fish out miscreant.
The CP, in a statement issued by the command’s spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, described the sit-at-home as an illegitimate order and enjoined residents and law-abiding citizens “to remain vigilant, go about their lawful businesses and resist succumbing to the antics of the miscreants, including the spread of tension-causing fake news.”
According to the statement, normalcy had since been restored at the New Market area following the deployment of “a crack team of police operatives to hunt down the armed hoodlums, who shot sporadically and breached public peace in the area.”
December 11, 2022
South-East: IPOB Declares May 18, 26 Sit-At-Home
The Indigenous People of Biafra has declared May 18 and 26, 2022 as sit-at-home for the people of the South-East.
The group said it declared the sit-at-home, being the court dates of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu as part of solidarity.
In a statement on Saturday, the group’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, also dissociated itself from a voice note purportedly announcing different dates, saying that any other date, is not from IPOB.
Powerful noted that the group’s core mandate is the well-being of Biafrans all over the globe, with emphasis in the homeland of Biafra.
He said the IPOB leadership is very strategic in its actions and directives to the Biafran people, so as to avoid playing into the hands of ‘its enemies”.
He said, “Our attention has been drawn to a purported voice note ordering Biafrans and residents of Biafraland to sit at home on a date other than May 18. This is the handiwork of paid agents and should be totally ignored.
“Those behind the purported voice note should go inform their pay masters to stop dissipating their energy and resources on a hopeless attempt to stop the collective will and decision of Biafrans worldwide to pursue our self determination right.”
While urging the people of the South-East to be very much on the alert, it noted that IPOB is not a faceless movement and does not announce its activities through voice messages.
The statement read in part, “Biafrans must be very much at alert because the enemies are trying so hard to create confusion in our land in its attempt to set Biafrans against themselves and scuttle our struggle for liberation. But we assure them that Biafrans know their plans and will not fall for their evil agenda.
“Like Mazi Nnamdi Kanu said, if you did not hear it on radio Biafra then it is not from IPOB. IPOB announce its activities and events only through official channels which are (i)Radio Biafra (ii) Press Statement from Emma Powerful (office of IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary) and (iii) Memo from the Office of IPOB Head of Directorate. To this end therefore the only Sit-At- Home order emenating and announced by IPOB leadership are the 18th and 26th of May, 2022 being the dates our leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU will appear in court.
“Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom across the world and especially in Biarraland should therefore pay no heed to faceless DSS agents and impostors recruited to serve the interest of Fulani Caliphate.”
May 14, 2022
Monday Sit-At-Home Order Remains Cancelled, Ignore Enforcers — IPOB
The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has reiterated its stance that Monday sit-at-home order remains cancelled.
The spokesman of the group, Emma Powerful, in a statement Thursday said that any person or group of persons caught enforcing the relaxed order would be treated as an enemy.
He advised the public to ignore anybody enforcing the order, urging the people to go about their normal businesses.
Powerful explained that the sit-at-home would only be observed in Biafra land on days the IPOB’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, would be appearing in court, which shall be made public.
He said, “Anyone caught adding to the pains of our people in the name of enforcing Monday sit-at-home order will be treated as the enemy that he or she is.
“We, therefore, warn these agents of darkness using the name of IPOB to enforce a non-existent sit-at-home to desist because if we lay hold on them, they will eternally regret their evil actions. Why should such unpatriotic elements be inflicting pain on our people and dragging our image to the mud? IPOB remains a non-violent movement and our peaceful approach for Biafra restoration has not changed.”
November 12, 2021
IPOB Cancels one Week Sit-At-Home
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has cancelled its one week sit-at-home order across the South-East.
IPOB said the order was called off following consultations with elders, traditional, and religious leaders from the Southeast.
Spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, disclosed this in a statement he issued on Thursday evening.
According to Powerful: “Following the genuine intervention of our elders, esteemed traditional Institutions /Rulers and Religious Leaders, and after a due consideration of the positive impacts of their engagement, and sequel to the fact that Our elders have spoken in our terms , the Leadership of IPOB ably led by MAZI NNAMDI Kanu hereby and immediately CALL OFF THE ONE WEEK SIT AT HOME earlier declared to commence tomorrow, November 5 to November 10, 2021.
“We have equally considered several appeals by our mothers who earn their living based on their daily economic activities which will obviously be affected if Biafra land is locked down for one whole week. It’s never our intention to add to the pains of our people, hence our decision to suspend the sit-at-home.
“IPOB leadership is only interested in Our referendum and peaceful agitation for self determination, and can not by under any guise be seen to be interfering with any electoral process.”
The separatist group urged people of the Anambra State to come out en masse and vote for candidates of their choice on Saturday.
“The people of Anambra State should go out enmasse and peacefully exercise their franchise come 6th November 20121 and accordingly, chose a leader of their Choice and should not be intimidated by anybody, group of persons or security agents.
“Credible intelligence available to us confirmed that the Nigeria DSS has concluded arrangement to deploy a branch of their trained terrorist group to Anambra state come 6th Day 2021, to unleash mayhem on our people and attribute the killing to peaceful IPOB members.
“Anambrarians should vote and standby to protect their votes. No rigging of any kind will be tolerated on the Anambra State governorship election. It must be transparent, free and fair to all.
“We wish to thank Biafrans, IPOB members worldwide, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom for their continued support for our dogged struggle for independence,” IPOB said.
November 4, 2021
No sit-at-home on Monday and Tuesday- IPOB Declares
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied claims ordering a to sit-at-home order across the Southeast region on October 18, 19, and 21 for its leader, and one year anniversary of #EndSARS protest.
In a statement released by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB warned those behind the rumour to retrace their steps and stop tarnishing its image. The group said it did not issue any sit-at-home directive except on October 21 when its leader was expected to appear in court.
The statement in part reads
“Our attention has been drawn to the fabricated statement being circulated by mischief makers and paid agents of darkness that IPOB had directed Biafrans to sit-at-home Monday, October 18; Tuesday, October 19; and Thursday, October 21 for our leader, and One year anniversary of#EndSARS protest.
We want to make it categorically clear that the above purported statement did not emanate from IPOB, and we completely dissociate with such falsehood. IPOB did not issue any sit-at-home except on October 21 when our leader is expected to appear in court.
We, therefore, urge members of the public to ignore the purported statement and utter falsehood being peddled by paid agents of the government to create confusion and demarket IPOB. Their intension is to portray IPOB as a violent and insensitive movement but we know their antics, and shall beat them to it.
For the sake of clarity, IPOB has not called for any sit-at-home except on Thursday, October 21 when our Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will appear in court in Abuja. Biafrans will solidarise with him by staying indoors on that day because we are all in the struggle together. He did nothing to deserve any persecution by the federal government.
As a responsible and responsive movement, we stopped Monday Sit-at-homes in the interest of our people. When we discovered that hooligans and paid agents of death wanted to hijack the opportunity to unleash mayhem on our people are cleverly blame it on IPOB, we stopped it. So, anybody sitting at home on Mondays does so out of ones volition and not on the orders of IPOB.
We also urge the general public to ignore the fake news that our leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU has been taken away by foreign government.”
October 17, 2021
IPOB: South-East Govs Declare end to Sit-At-Home Order
A meeting of South-East leaders ended in Enugu on Tuesday with a declaration that no further sit-at-home would be observed in the zone.
Despite the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, coming out to say it has cancelled the every Monday sit-at-home, the region has remained under lockdown on the first day of the week, with some unknown persons enforcing what IPOB called “non-existing order.”
However, in their meeting which was attended by political, religious and traditional leaders, they said such order would not be condoned any further.
A communiqué issued after the meeting was read by the Chairman of South-East Governors’ Forum and Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi.
The meeting was attended by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (Host), Senator Hope Uzodimma, Abia State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu, National Assembly members from the South East geo-political zone, former Governors, former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd), leaders of the religious and traditional institutions from the zone, including leaders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, among others.
At the commencement of the meeting, they observe a minute silence for all those who have lost their lives to the security challenges in the country, especially in the South East zone.
Full text of the communiqué below:
1. The Governors and leaders of the South East condemned the killings in the region and have agreed to join hands with security agencies to stop the killings;
2. The meeting condemned the sit-at-home orders, which are mostly issued by our people in diaspora who do not feel the pains, the meeting resolved that Governors and all people of the south East do everything within the law to ensure that there is no further sit-at-home in the South East and that people are allowed to freely move about in the zone;
3. The meeting agreed that the South East Ebubeagu security outfit be launched in all the South East States and laws passed in various South East States before the end of 2021;
4. The meeting received the Committee report from Ohaneze on various matters affecting the South East, especially on the issue of security and marginalization of the South East people, and resolved to study the reports from Ohaneze Worldwide for immediate implementation, and engagement with the Federal Government for amicable settlement of all issues agitating the minds of our people, especially the youths;
5. The meeting agreed to support security agencies to restore peace in the South East;
6. Tne meeting resolved to support election in Anambra State and directed security agencies to ensure a peaceful election in Anambra State come November 6, 2021.
7. The meeting commended all groups and the clergy for their efforts at interfacing with our youths
8. The meeting mandated our clergy men, Bishops, CAN, Ohaneze and Traditional Rulers to continue to dialogue with our youths.
October 5, 2021
Sit-At-Home: Gov Obiano Leads Protest Against IPOB, enforces resumption of businesses in Anambra
Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano has led the enforcement of return to businesses and other economic activities in the state.
The state in the last five weeks have witnessed shutdowns on Mondays, leading to a directive by Obiano to business owners, banks and market leaders to resume duties or risk sanction.
The governor who led members of his executive council on Monday around the state capital visited banks and markets in the state capital.
At Eke Awka market, the governor thanked traders who braved it to come to the market, saying that the state must avoid giving urchins a chance to take over the state.
Though only a few vehicles could be found on the road, most businesses including motor parks, banks and markets were opened for business, against previous Mondays that left the state capital as a ghost town.
SEE PHOTS;
September 13, 2021
Sit-at-home: Gunmen invade Imo School, chase WASCE candidates away
Unknown gunmen have attacked the Comprehensive Secondary School, Nkume in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State following the declaration of sit-at-home order by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
The armed men reportedly invaded the school premises when some students were participating in the ongoing 2021 West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) and stopped the exercise.
Details of the incident is still sketchy as of press time but it was learnt that five hoodlums destroyed some properties during the attack
The Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Mike Abattam, could not take his calls and was unable to respond to text messages forwarded to him.
Recall that IPOB had ordered that the region must observe sit-at-home every Monday in solidarity for its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services.
More to follow…..
September 13, 2021