Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, has ordered troops to raid areas where the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) enforce their sit-at-home order throughout the South-East states.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Army Chief’s order came after a Finland-based pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, announced that there would be a two-week sit-at-home in the South-East region from July 31.
Ekpa said the order was to demand the immediate and unconditional release of the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as well as facilitate the freedom of Biafra nation, among others.
He warned that failure to comply with the sit-at-home order would attract ‘heavy consequences’.
In reaction to this, the Director, Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, declared that such an announcement was unlawful and would not be condoned.
Nwachukwu said the troops of the 82 Division had been given an order to work with other security agencies to ensure citizens go about their businesses freely.
The Army Spokesman said, “The renewed threat by IPOB to compel the people in southeastern Nigeria to sit at home is not only appalling but a violation of the fundamental rights of southeastern Nigerians and, therefore, unlawful. This will never be condoned.
“The Chief of Army Staff has handed down clear directives to the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army operating in synergy with other security agencies to ensure robust patrols to dominate all flashpoints and emplace measures to ensure citizens are free to go about their legitimate businesses.
“Strangely, Simon Ekpa, a notorious terrorist and self-acclaimed leader of IPOB, is in Finland making a living for himself and his family, but ordering the people to shut down their means of livelihood by sitting at home.”
He called on Nigerians in the South-East region to disregard the sit-at-home order, urging them to support the security forces to defeat IPOB.
Nwachukwu said, “We implore the good and enterprising people of the South-East to shun all forms of cajoling or threats aimed at unlawfully compelling them to be reclusive by sitting at home. We urge them to join forces with the security operatives to resist this illegality perpetrated by IPOB.”
In a similar vein, the police have vowed to resist the sit-at-home order in any part of the South-East.
The Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi in an interview with THE PUNCH, said the police had killed and arrested non-state actors enforcing the order, adding that the force would not rest on its oars.
Adejobi further disclosed that the police were keeping a watch on the sponsors of the agitators.
The Police Spokesman said, “The police will not allow any unlawful order to stand in any part of Nigeria. The sit-at-home order is illegal and unacceptable. We have suppressed and neutralised the non-state actors who have been trying to enforce the order. We have arrested many of them and recovered their weapons.
“We will not relent in our efforts to maintain law and order in all parts of Nigeria, and we assure the people in the South-East to go about their lawful businesses as we have emplaced adequate security measures to protect them. We are keeping watch on the sponsors of these agitators who cause pain and sorrow in the areas.”
