[b]The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has frowned at the continued compliance with the sit-at-home every Monday in the Southeast region, even after it called off the order.
IPOB urged residents to go about their normal lawful duties on Mondays, warning that it would deal with anyone found enforcing sit at home on that day.
Since August 9, when the sit-at-home exercise initially called by IPOB began in the southeast, residents have continued to comply with the order every Monday even when the group called off the exercise two weeks later.
It was observed that residents despite the cancellation have continued to observe the Monday sit at home, following attacks launched on some people who attempted to do businesses on that day by some faceless individuals.
These individuals had at some point burnt vehicles and other property which in turn created fears in the people.
Perturbed by the development, however, IPOB said that it would no longer tolerate forcing the people indoors in the name of a canceled sit at home order.
IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful said, “We wish to reiterate once again that IPOB has cancelled Monday sit-at-home order and anybody or group enforcing the relaxed order is neither from IPOB nor from IPOB volunteer group.
“We are advising our people to ignore anybody enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home order and go about their normal business because such person(s) are working for our enemies and their intension is to blackmail IPOB and set the movement against the people but they won’t succeed. Anyone caught adding to the pain of our people in the name of enforcing Monday sit-at-home order will be treated like the enemy that he or she is.
“We, therefore, warn these agents of darkness using the name of IPOB to enforce a non-existent sit-at-home to desist because if we lay hold on them they will eternally regret their evil actions. Why should such unpatriotic elements be inflicting pain on our people and dragging our image to the mud? IPOB remains a non-violent movement and our peaceful approach for Biafra restoration has not changed.
“Nobody has the powers to enforce the same suspended sit-at-home using the name of IPOB.
“The only day sit-at-home will be observed in Biafra land is when our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is appearing in court, and we shall, as usual, make it public for all to know.
“We hereby direct community leaders, market leaders, church leaders, and other institutions of authority in Biafra land to arrest any hoodlum trying to enforce any sit-at-home on Mondays and hand them over to IPOB. Such criminal elements must be treated in a language they understand.”
