Families Reschedule Burials, Weddings As IPOB’s Sit-At-Home Bites Harder

Families are hurriedly changing dates earlier stipulated for weddings and burials due to the Nov 5 to 10 sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra.

The group said the order was to effect the immediate release of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is being tried for alleged treason and running a proscribed group.

Findings by THE WHISTLER on Thursday show that many churches easily oblige the requests of families for such changes. While some shift the dates after Nov 10, a majority are bringing theirs forward.

A priest, Fr Meletus Ezeme, told our correspondent that, “Such arrangements have been made flexible because of the prevailing circumstances. Our prayer is for the return of normalcy in our beloved Nigeria.”

Ifeoma Okpe, from Aninri LGA of Enugu State, said her late uncle was billed to be buried on 5th of November. In her words, “We have invited guests from far and wide. But with the look of things, we are left with the option of postponing it, or bringing it forward. All these are because of bad governance and agitations against it.

“I plead with the IPOB not to ground southeast so far the matter is already in court. Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers already said they were satisfied with the proceedings.”

John Odo, from Nsude, Udi LGA of Enugu State, said, “My wedding is scheduled for 5th of November. With this development, I may just opt for morning Mass wedding.

“The first time we planned it, the Covid-19 lockdown was announced. I live overseas. I had to wait for this November. Both families will discuss the way forward.”

Our correspondent reports that IPOB, in a statement signed by its director of media and publicity, Emma Powerful, vowed to shut down the region from 5th to 10th November while admitting that they understood the pains it would cause to southeasters.

According to the statement, “Following the adjournment of our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s court case to 10th of November 2021 by the Federal High Court, Abuja, we inform that IPOB will lock down the Biafra land from 5th of November to 10th of November except Sunday, November 7th, a day our people worship the Almighty God, if the Nigerian government fails to release our leader unconditionally before 4th of November 2021.

“Our leader, Mazi Nnamdi, must be released unconditionally on or before November 4, 2021, because he has not committed any offence known to any law.

“Although we quite understand the pains and adverse effects of this option on our people, we are compelled to take it to achieve a better purpose in the collective interest of Biafrans. We have taken time to analyse what transpired on October 21 when our leader was arraigned in court and discovered that the federal government is not sincere, and only wants to humiliate him and keep him perpetually in the DSS custody to rot there.

“We all saw how lawyers, journalists, Igbo delegates and respected traditional rulers and other people, who came from all around the world to witness his court case, were restricted and denied access into the court premises by security agents who kept them outside under the scorching heat of the sun. What a humiliation and wickedness!”