September 17, (THEWILL) – Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, has decried the sit-at-home order declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB).
Abaribe, who lamented that the Sit-at-home is detrimental to the economy of the Southeast, however claimed that “hoodlums” have hijacked the protest.
IPOB had declared Mondays a sit-at-home day over the arrest of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Following initial successful compliance by members of the public, IPOB reviewed the order to include only when Kanu was to appear in court.
Despite this pronouncement, residents and their businesses have faced series of attacks as some persons who ventured to come out on Mondays are being forced to stay at home.
IPOB has denied involvement in the frequent enforcement of a sit-at-home exercise, saying it will deal with the hoodlums behind it.
The group, in a recent press statement issued on Tuesday by its Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful said it has no hand in the enforcement of the exercise, which it had long suspended.
THEWILL had also reported how gunmen harassed students of Comprehensive Secondary School, Nkume in Njaba LGA of Imo state. The students were taking the 2021 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
A day after, gunmen killed Emeka Merenu, a priest of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, in Iheteukwa, Orsu LGA of Imo state.
These developments spurred criticism against IPOB’s sit-at-home protest by prominent actors in the south-east.
Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra, on Tuesday, claimed “other forces might be hiding behind” IPOB lockdown orders to hurt the region.
Again, speaking with Arise TV on Friday, Abaribe said, the protest has been hijacked by hoodlums.
“The tactics are detrimental to the welfare and the economy of the south-east.
“First of all, IPOB, on its own, said there should be no more sit-at-home, and people should go about their legitimate businesses.
“Yet there were some people who attacked those going about their business, saying that there should be a lockdown.
“Meaning that nobody now knows who was enforcing what. And why we felt that those who are enforcing it couldn’t have been those who said no more sit-at-home; it must have been some elements that we do not know.
“And we actually suggested that both the governor and the security agencies work hand in hand to fish out those who are doing this because this is detrimental to our welfare and the economy of the south-east.”
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