By Adadareporters
Traders at the university community of Nsukka in Enugu State were Wednesday afternoon forced to close shops following alleged plans by enforcers of sit-at-home order to invade the zone.
News was awash earlier in the week that a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra had ordered a week-one sit-at-home to protest the continued detention of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, at the custody of the Department of State Services despite the orders of Court of Appeal to release him. Kanu is being detained over alleged running a proscribed group, jumping bail and treason.
Despite the denial of the one-week sit-at-home order by Mr Emma Powerful, IPOB’s spokesperson, many residents of Enugu State partially complied with it on Tuesday. Mondays are hitherto being observed as sit-at-home, and despite its cancellation by IPOB, residents have virtually added Mondays to the weekend.
A trader at Ikpa market, James Okwosa,said, “We were told that IPOB will attack this afternoon. In fact, they said the attackers were on their way to Nsukka from Enugu. I hurriedly closed my shop and picked by kids from school. Safety first.”
Madam Eze runs a restaurant. She said, “I’m confused. I was at Opi to buy meat. They told me that Nsukka was on fire. I rushed back, and now at Nsukka, they say Opi is being attacked. There is fear in the land. I have seen presence of security agents, so there must be an element of truth in this saga.”
Meanwhile, Mr Reuben Onyishi, special assistant to Gov Peter Mbah on new media, has debunked any skirmishes as a result of the sit-at-home in the state.
He stated in a post that, “Enugu residents are hereby enjoined to disregard claims making the rounds on the social media that unknown gunmen, seeking to enforce sit-at-home in Enugu, are on the prowl, shooting at Abakpa, Emene and other places, and forcing people back to their houses.
“The fact remains that Enugu State is too hot for the daredevil gunmen, seeking to enforce sit-at-home in the state. They had tried to replicate what reportedly happened at Ishieke, Ebonyi State on Tuesday in Enugu this morning, but were capably repelled by a crack team of the security agents who had proactively preempted their targets. They were capably engaged and their target operation foiled, whereupon they took to their heels in their Sienna bus, seeking to escape. They are currently on the run as the security men are on their trail.
“There was no shooting in neither Abakpa nor Emene as insinuated and being circulated by mischief-makers on the social media with a view to scare the people. Adequate security measures are in place to guarantee the safety of lives and property in the entire state
“The general public is hereby advised to go about their businesses without fear. There are no such cases of shooting in Enugu as are being alleged and circulated on the social media. Disregard the video clips being circulated. They are fake and did not take place anywhere in Enugu State.”
