Enugu Govt Says It Stopped Gunmen Enforcing Sit-At-Home From Entering State Capital

The Enugu State government, Wednesday afternoon, admitted that some elements enforcing the one-week sit-at-home order earlier declared by a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, wanted to ‘penetrate’ the state metropolis, but were ‘capably repelled’.

THE WHISTLER reported that schools and shops were hurriedly shut in both the metropolis and Nsukka following allegations of attacks by the enforcers. Recall that a wing of IPOB declared one-week sit-at-home in Southeast states to protest non-release of Kanu who is being detained at the custody of the State Services. The Court of Appeal, Abuja, earlier discharged and acquitted Kanu, but the order was not complied with by former president Muhammadu Buhari.

Emma Powerful, IPOB’s spokesperson, Monday, said the one-week sit-at-home order did not emanate from his group, and urged the residents to disregard it. However, it was partially complied with on Tuesday.

Reacting to Wednesday’s alleged attack, Reuben Onyishi, aide to Gov Mbah on new media, said the accompanying videos of shootings in some parts of the state were fake.

According to him, “They (sit-at-home) enforcers had tried to replicate what reportedly happened at Ishieke, Ebonyi State on Tuesday in Enugu this morning, but were capably repelled by a crack team of the security agents who had proactively preempted their targets.

“They were capably engaged and their target operation foiled, whereupon they took to their heels in their Sienna bus, seeking to escape. They are currently on the run as the security men are on their trail.”

He urged Enugu residents to disregard claims making the rounds on the social media that unknown gunmen, seeking to enforce sit-at-home in Enugu, ‘are on the prowl, shooting at Abakpa, Emene and other places, and forcing people back to their houses’.

In his words, “There was no shooting in neither Abakpa nor Emene as insinuated and being circulated by mischief-makers on the social media with a view to scare the people. Adequate security measures are in place to guarantee the safety of lives and property in the entire state

“The general public is hereby advised to go about their businesses without fear.”