*By David Uka, Abakaliki*
The sit-at-home order issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB on its members recorded zero compliance in Ebonyi State as citizens of the state were seen going about their normal businesses without harassment and intimidation.
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Recall that Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State had during his May 29th Democracy celebration warned that any trader that closes his shop in line with the directive of IPOB would forfeit it forever
When our reporter visited some schools, markets and banks within the Abakaliki metropolis, they were all opened for business transaction and operations as a joint patrol of major security agencies with over 20 vehicles were seen patrolling the streets of the city to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
Speaking with newsmen in Abakaliki, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor David Umahi on Internal Security, Dr. Kenneth Ugbala said the residents of the state complied fully with the directive of the state governor
“I have gone round the two major businesses area in the state. I visited the banks, Abakpa main market, the parks where commuters do their businesses and am happy that in Ebonyi state we have full compliance to the directive of government even in the rural communities or areas; we don’t have any challenge at all.
“The little little cases that cropped in had been resolved in the rural areas; we want to thank God; we want to advise those championing the cause of IPOB or MASSOB to follow the normal process that will be in line with the law and we had always said that in Ebonyi State here, we had been economically disadvantaged.
“We cannot leave our productive periods to engage in nothing because we have suffered criminal marginalization from the states we were carved out from and we want to meet up and we cannot sit at home when we are supposed to be working. we want to thank Ebonyians for the full compliance to the directive of the Governor. I think today has been awesome and we thank God for it.”
However, the major transport companies like Peace Mass and Ebotrans as at the time of this report were not loading to Aba, Onitsha and Port Harcourt where they felt people would obey the sit at home order of IPOB.
The Nigeria Police Force, Ebonyi Command in Abakaliki urged residents of Abakaliki to ignore the sit – at – home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) describing the order as unlawful.
The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs Lovett Odah told our reporter that adequate security preparations had been put in place to secure lives and property of every citizen.
She urged residents of Abakaliki and every citizen of Ebonyi to goabout their lawful and legitimate business noting that the law would deal with anybody or group who tried to molest them.
“The Ebonyi Police Command under the Commissioner of Police, Mr Titus Sumba-Lamorde wants to assure residents of its readiness to deal with anybody or group who wants to foment crisis by forcing innocent law abiding citizens to comply with the unlawful order. The police wish to remind those out there that want to commit crime to relocate out of the state because there is no room for them and that the eagle eyes of the Police will catch up with them.”
She said that any member or members of IPOB caught forcing innocent Nigerians to obey the unlawful order would face immediate prosecution.