Following the indigenous people of Biafra’s (IPOB) sit-at-home order, Ebonyi State saw a 70 percent lockdown on Monday.
Residents in the state, according to the DAILY POST, have refused to go to work or even open their businesses for fear of being attacked by hoodlums.
Our correspondent found that all banks, transportation terminals, and other business centers in the Abakaliki metropolis were closed due to the sit-at-home directive.
Note that the Indigenous People of Biafra’s leadership, led by Nnamdi Kanu, had previously called off the sit-at-home order to avoid bringing difficulty and hardship to the people of the southeast region.
In the state capital, however, banks, car parks, fuel stations, cafés, big stores, and supermarkets remained closed.
Shops at the Abakaliki International Market and the Ophoke-Abba market in Kpiri-Kpiri were also impacted, with store owners closing their doors.
It was discovered that important routes such as the Abakaliki/Enugu and Abakaliki/Afikpo highways in Ebonyi state as well as other major internal roads like the Afikpo and Ogoja roads, were devoid of human and vehicle traffic.
Mr. Simon Ngaji, a merchant at Ophoke-Abba Market in Kpiri-Kpiri, indicated that many individuals in the market, particularly store owners, were unaware of the suspension, and several questioned its legitimacy.
“There was conflicting information on suspension of the earlier sit-at-home order last Monday; though IPOB came out to refute the news of the suspension,” he said.
“Many people who violated the order lost their lives during the action and this goes to explain why people are skeptical about the suspension of today’s sit-at-home and decided not to come out.”
Due to the incident, two bank clients, Miss Eunice Chukwu and Mr. Emmanuel Onwe were unable to make the transactions they came to accomplish in the bank.
The two claimed to have arrived at the bank at 10 a.m., but we’ve learned that the bank was closed.
“I came to make some withdrawal and do other things in the bank. But, on getting here, the bank didn’t open, the security men on duty asked me to use the ATM for my withdrawal or come back tomorrow.
She said, “My program for the day is shattered due to this development as I needed money to tackle an emergency family problem.
”My ATM card has expired and needed to be replaced. This was one the things I came to do but see, I can’t even withdraw any money, I am completely confused,” the other client said.
