Igbos Defy MASSOB’s Sit-At-Home Order

Residents of South-East states last Saturday defied the directive of MASSOB to sit at home in protest against the killing of Igbo people in the North by the Boko Haram sect.

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) had issued the

directive to residents in the states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.

In Imo, the residents went about their normal businesses in spite of the MASSOB directive, following a directive by the state government.

The Commissioner for Information in Imo, Mr Chinedu Offor, had in a statement, urged the people to ignore the directive and go about their normal businesses.

Also in Abakaliki,  markets were open and people carried on their normal businesses.

Chief Basil Akilo, a businessman, said, “It is difficult for people to forsake their business activities for a cause which would not have direct impact on them.”

The Ebonyi Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Sylvester Igbo, said although individuals or groups had the right to express their views, it should not constitute a threat to public peace.

“We have, therefore, stationed our officers at strategic positions of the town and other parts of the state to forestall the breakdown oflaw and order.We call on the citizens to go about their businesses without fear and report suspicious persons or movements to security agencies,” Igbo said.

In Umuahia, armed policemen and other security agencies, paraded major streets. Some traders, who opened their shops, said they did so because of the tight security provided in the state capital.

, The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Geoffery Ogbonna said that the police adopted a proactive approach to neutralise the MAS SOB directive.

In Aba, the commercial city of Abia, business activities did not commence early in the morning as shops opened about noon even in the ever busy Asa-Park Road axis.

Mr John Nwiwu, a motor park worker, said that he and some others had to wait till their colleagues who came on surveillance reported back.

But in Onitsha, Anambra, security operatives dispersed MASSOB members, who came out to make bon-fires on major roads of the commercial town.

Over 200 policemen supported by detachments of the army and navy were stationed in strategic locations in the town.

Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, a chieftain of Ohaneze in Anambra, said the signs of compliance with the directive noticed in the town were due to fear instilled in the people.

At Eke-Awka Market, the major market in the town, shops remained shut as the vigilance group in-charge of security in the market did not allow traders to gain entry into the facility.

There were bonfires at Oye-Agu Junction but the MASSOB members were dispersed by security operatives.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra, Mr Emeka Chukwuemeka, said the sit-at-home directive failed since there was vehicular and human movement throughout the state.