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Tension in the South-East as IPOB Commences Sit-At-Home Today

There is heavy security presence in the South East following the sit-at-home declared by pro-Biafran groups to honour their fallen heroes.

The army and police, which commenced joint operation show of force increased their presence in different parts of the zone at press time.

The joint security patrol team of Nigerian Army, Navy, Police, Civil Defence Corps, DSS and others, patrolled in a convoy of about 10 Hilux vans fully armed, along major roads and streets to scare those who might come out to cause trouble.

They patrolled along Upper Iweka, River Niger Bridgehead, Owerri Road, Niger Street, Awka Road, Nkpor old road in Anambra, among other places.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Haruna Mohammed had earlier in a statement called on members of the public to go about their normal businesses as the police were ready to protect them.

He said the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) still remained proscribed and its activities illegal, stressing that anybody arrested violating the law would be prosecuted according to the law of land.

Meanwhile, IPOB has vowed that no amount of intimidation, abductions, arrests, killings and concocted lies would stop the sit-at-home as Biafraland would be locked down.

Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, in a statement said they will continue to honour their fallen heroes who laid down their lives in the struggle.

In a related development, there are indications in Anambra that the IPOB order might succeed more than the previous ones.

Besides the support IPOB enjoys from the masses, especially non-elite, this year’s Remembrance Day for Biafran heroes falls on Ascension Day 9, day Christians remember the ascension of Jesus Christ into Heaven.

Every year, the Roman Catholic Christians take time off work or any business, saying the church forbids work on Ascension Thursday.

In Ebonyi, about 500 persons said to be members of IPOB, as part of their preparations for the sit-at-home, marched through some major roads in Abakaliki, the state capital.

Human and vehicular movements were reportedly paralysed momentarily along Afikpo Road to Vanco Junction through the popular Ogoja Road and down towards Onuebonyi.

The pro-Biafra group, eyewitnesses said, marched from Spera-In-Deo Junction, passed through the aforesaid major roads and headed towards Abakaliki Rice Mill.

Commissioner of Police in the state, Awosola Awotinde, told Daily Sun that the police alongside other security agencies in the state which included the Directorate of State Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had held a show of strength movement round the state.

He disclosed that about 100 Biafra flags hoisted by the members of the IPOB have been mopped up by the police and would not relent in ensuring that the pro-Biafra group did not have a field day.

In Imo, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign States of Biafra (MASSOB) has waved off the directive of the Inspector General of Police to his men to be at alert to stop the sit-at -home order. It described the IGP’s order it as a waste of time.

Leader of MASSOB, Uchenna said the massive deployment of the security men would all be in futility because no rally, procession of any kind would be held by his members.

In Aba, Abia State, security has been beefed up.

Commissioner of Police, E. Ene Okon, warned IPOB not to attempt to molest people going about their normal businesses.

IPOB leader’s younger brother, Prince Emma Kanu, said even if the military and police decided to relocate their headquarters to the South East and South south zones, it will make no difference as the sit-at-home must be observed.

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Copyright 2019 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant source.

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