A cross-section of traders in Abia and Imo has said the two-day sit-at-home crippled their businesses and caused them huge financial losses.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a middle-aged man had in a viral video about a fortnight ago warned South-East residents to remain indoors on October 21 and October 22 for their safety.
The unidentified man claimed that the proscribed Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) would launch its flag and Armoured Personnel Carriers in the five states of the region on the two days.
He feared that security agencies would attempt to counter the move with dire security consequences in the region.
The video caused panic amongst the people as markets, shops, banks, business premises and schools in the region forcefully closed for the two days.
An Aba resident, Mr Chinaka Samuel, said that the sit-at-home, being imposed on residents, had become inimical to their economic survival.
Samuel appealed to the Federal Government “to dialogue with IPOB and release Nnamdi Kanu”, the leader of the group, in order to end the sit-at-home phenomenon.
He also urged IPOB to consider the consequent losses brought on the economy of the region by its incessant order.
A trader, Mrs Ijeoma Kelechukwu, said that her children had nothing to eat since Monday “because of the sit-at-home, which took us unawares”.
She said that she went for burial on Friday and learnt of the order upon her return in the evening.
She also said that as a Seventh Day Adventist faithful, she could not go to shop on Saturday.
“Now, since the sit-at-home started on Monday, my four children and I have had nothing in the house to eat.
“This sit-at-home should stop. Government should do whatever it can to stop it for us to return to our normal life again,” she said.
In Umuahia, a Community Health Worker, Mrs Ijeoma Eze, said that businesses in the region had suffered great losses, worth billions of naira, during the two-day sit-at-home.
Eze said that she runs a patent medicine shop but could not open for business for the two days.
“My stock has run down but I could not restock because the big pharmacies in town did not open.
“This sit-at-home has affected my daily income for these two days as the breadwinner of my family, she said.
Eze opined that the solution to the challenge faced in the South-East remained the unconditional release of Kanu.
The Executive Director of the Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, Mr Nelson Nwafor, said that the issue of sit-at-home had become worrisome.
Nwafor said: “Sit-at-home has become a very serious concern because of its resultant negative outcome on the economy of the region.
“We are calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu because this will address the issue of sit-at-home.”
NAN reports that the streets of Aba and Umuahia were completely deserted for the two days as residents stayed back home for fear of being attacked.
In Imo, residents of Owerri, the capital, complied with the sit-at-home order, bringing socio-economic activities to a halt.
NAN reports that banks, schools and major markets, such as the popular Eke Onunwa Market and Relief Market, remained shut.
The roads were also deserted with no vehicles and security personnel in sight.
Also, motor parks and recreational spots, such as the Owerri Mall, were locked.
A school proprietor, Mrs Charity Udochukwu, said that she had to comply with the order “for the safety of our staff and students and to avoid being the scapegoat”.
Udochukwu said that the situation was likely to affect the school calendar and students academic programme, if left to continue.
A trader, Mr Emmanuel Nwokorie, said that he would endure the two-day order “as long as it guarantees my safety”, irrespective of the hunger from economic lockdown.
Also, a food vendor, Mrs Igoloma Nduka, said she had been out of business since Monday, in compliance with the directive.
Nduka wondered why security agencies were not seen on the streets to guarantee safety of lives and property of the residents.
According to her, the absence of security personnel from the streets contributed to the fear, leading to total compliance with the order.
A cleric, Mr Chisomaga Ononuju of the First Apostles Mission, Owerri, expressed dismay over the inability of the government to address the issues that led to the situation.
Ononuju argued that with serious government’s intervention, sit-at-home in the South-East would end.
He regretted that the directive was crippling businesses in the region and other parts of the country.
He said: “Almost every business, if not all, in the country has something to do with the South-East.
“So, this situation is definitely affecting other parts of the country, apart from the South-East.
“For instance, I learnt that some parts of the north did not get power supply because the Transmission Company of Nigeria could not activate supply from somewhere in Enugu as a result of the sit-at-home.
“This is serious. It is an issue of national concern and should be treated as such,” Ononuju said.
However, some hospitals and other health service providers, such as laboratories and pharmacies in Owerri Municipal, shunned the order.
On MCC/Uratta Road, NAN observed skeletal vehicular movements, while some small businesses, such as hair salons and mini shops, opened for business.
A hair dresser, Mrs Maria Ezeh, said she had to open when her customers kept calling, adding that the area was free from unrest.
NAN also reports that petrol stations and big supermarkets were closed.
Meanwhile, the state Police Command has dismissed a viral video on the social media that alleged an attack on Okigwe Local Government building.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Henry Okoye, the command also dismissed reports that five vehicles were set ablaze in some parts of Imo during the sit-at-home.
“The Imo State Police Command is issuing this statement in response to a recent viral video showing vehicles set ablaze by individuals affiliated with IPOB/ESN enforcing an unlawful sit-at-home order in Okigwe.
“The command confirms that this video is misleading. The incident depicted actually occurred in 2022.
“Its re-circulation is a calculated attempt by mischief makers to instil unnecessary fear and anxiety in the people,” he noted.
Okoye urged residents of Okigwe and the state in general to remain calm and continue with their lawful activities without fear.
He assured them that the command, in collaboration with other security agencies, was committed to combating misinformation and ensuring a safe environment for all and sundry in the state. (NAN)