The sit-at-home order declared by a splinter group of the Indigenous People of Biafra, on Tuesday, brought economic activities in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, and its environs to a halt.
The exercise, which recorded over 75 percent compliance in the state, saw the shutdown of markets, banks, and shops.
Our correspondent, who monitored the exercise in Abakaliki in the early hours of Tuesday, observed that between 7 am and 10 am, there were no vehicular and human movements.
It was also observed that neither civil servants nor students were seen going to work or school in the state as of 7.30 am.
Banks’ premises were under key and luck, and our correspondent noted that the Nigerian flag was seen lowered in their offices.
Also, parks of major transport companies such as Peace, Onitsha South, GUO, Ifesinachi, Eastern Mass, and ROMCHI, among others, were shut down.
It was also observed that filling stations in the state, were shut down and didn’t open for business on Tuesday.
IPOB had 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, had also dissociated itself from a voice note purportedly announcing different dates, saying that any other date was not from IPOB.
Powerful noted that the group’s core mandate was the well-being of Biafrans all over the globe, with an emphasis on the homeland of Biafra.
He said the IPOB leadership was very strategic in its actions and directives to the Biafran people, to avoid playing into the hands of ‘its enemies’.
The statement read in part, “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 paymasters 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.”
