In response to a claim that Nigerian military personnel were to blame for ending the Monday sit-at-home action in the Southeast of the country, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has responded.
Two weeks ago, Anaedoonline.ng reported that Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), had confirmed the termination of the sit-at-home order that IPOB had been enforcing throughout the region.
According to the Army chief, it took his men’s increased efforts and collaboration with key stakeholders to bring the Monday routine drill, which lasted almost two years, to a close.
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The COAS, at the combined second and third quarters conference in Abuja, had said, “We have equally heightened our efforts in containing criminalities perpetrated in the South East Region by the Indigenous People of Biafra and Eastern Security Network. Through Operation Udo Ka, our troops have, in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, put an end to the infamous sit-at-home order that has almost crippled socio-economic activities in the Region.
“Law-abiding citizens of the Region now go about their businesses and everyday life. Similarly, our joint efforts with various government agencies have quelled attempts by criminals to disrupt economic activities in the South West Region.”
The public should disregard Nigerian military claims of ending the Monday sit-at-home order in the South East, the separatist group said in response to the claim. The statement was released by the group’s media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful.
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The IPOB said that the normal exercise was ended by Simon Ekpa and his crew, who were still observing the sit-at-home, following Nnamdi Kanu’s directive to them.
The group made fun of Nigerian Army members, alleging that soldiers would routinely hide in their barracks on Mondays while the practise was taking place.
It added, “We, therefore, request the general public to ignore the military and other security agencies. The claims of the Nigerian military of being responsible for stopping the infamous sit-at-homes are laughable and criminal.
“As much as the sit-at-home was an IPOB brainchild and a powerful strategy of IPOB before the Nigeria government agents hijacked and abused it, its ending was as a result of proactive actions and strategy by IPOB and our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
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“IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu printed flyers, posters, and banners informing our people that sit-at-home is over and had been over. It is on record that IPOB discontinued Monday’s weekly sit-at-home after its first successful observation and our people’s voluntary compliance before Nigerian government agents claiming to be working for IPOB hijacked it and used it to commit crimes.
“Where were the Nigerian military and police when the people of South East were molested, intimidated and killed by hoodlums enforcing IPoB cancelled Monday weekly sit-at-home? They were all hiding in their barracks on Mondays while the sit-at-home lasted until our leader’s instruction that it must stop forthwith in Igbo land.
“The Nigerian military must stop telling lies that they stopped sit-at-home, they never did, they were rather hiding in their barracks while it lasted. IPoB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu stopped sit-at-home. Nigeria’s military has no capacity to stop the infamous Monday sit-at-home in Biafraland.”
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