The sit-at-home plea issued by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a solidarity in protest against continued detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, was partially successful in some parts of Anambra State at the weekend.
From early in the morning, caution was the word as many people stayed at home not knowing what may happen to them if they ventured out.
Bus drivers stayed at home causing the few that ventured out to hike transport fares to different destinations.
For example, commuters travelling to Enugu from Onitsha paid as much as between N800.00 to N1,000, twice the fare.
Generally, human and vehicular traffic were low as only few people ventured into the roads for fear of attack.
Banks, generally were shut in Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi. Only customers with ATM cards were allowed into the banking premises of most of the banks while the banking halls were under lock and key.
Also, pupils and students of many private schools were shut.
Fewer civil servants went to work and left offices early to board vehicles to their respective destinations.
In Awka and Nnewi the major markets were open but witnessed skeletal customer patronage. At Nnewi the main Nnewi market was shut in the morning but opened later in the day. But that was not the situation in Onitsha where the main market was shut to customers.
Everywhere remained calm. However, at the popular New Tazan junction in Nkpor near Onitsha, a group of young people wanted to stage a protest but were quickly dispersed by a joint task force comprising the Army, the police and men of Civil Defence Corps.
Soldiers also kept watch at the Bridge head section of Onitsha while the police carried out motorized patrol in Awka, Nnewi and Onitsha.
The ever busy Onitsha-Owerri Road and Onitsha-Enugu expressways were ghost of themselves as interstate vehicles trickled. Streets were also deserted of vehicles although this improved later in the day.
So also the Lagos-Benin–Onitsha which was usually busy was deserted judging by the traffic on Bridge head side.
Meanwhile, the Indigenous People of Biafra worldwide, and the Directorate of State (DOS) have congratulated the people of Biafra all over the world, their friends and “lovers of freedom all over the world for their support towards the successful sit-at-home order and successful protest across the globe in solidarity for the release of our leader, Prophet Nnamdi Kanu, and for restoration of God’s nation Biafra”.
In the message signed by the Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Comrade Emma Powerful, the group said that the protest took place in all the continents of the world and African countries.
It listed the countries where protests took place as the USA, Brazil, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Israel, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Kuwait.
Others are: Spain, Italy, UK, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Mexico, Malaysia, UAE, South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, Egypt, Gabon, Togo, Kenya, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, and China, among others.
It noted that “here in Biafra land” protests took place in Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom. Cross Rivers, Imo, Delta and so on, which it said were shut down in solidarity with the quest for the restoration of Biafra.