The Monday sit-at-home in Anambra State was strictly observed today despite the Appeal Court judgment in favour of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
This was just as banks, offices, markets, motor parks, shops, schools and petrol stations, as usual, remained shut in the major cities of Onitsha, Nnewi, Obosi, Ekwulobia, and some parts of Awka.
Although IPOB had long announced the cancellation of the exercise, the people continued to observe it for fear of attack by hoodlums enforcing it.
The people of the South-East took to the streets on Thursday to celebrate immediately after the news filtered in that Kanu had been discharged and acquitted by the Appeal Court in Abuja.
During the jubilation, the people shouted “no more sit-at-home,” while shooting fireworks.
But the people were disappointed the following day when information from the desk of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Mallami, indicated that the court only “discharged but not acquitted” Kanu, meaning Kanu would still be at the custody of the Department of State Security.
Consequently, on Monday, the sit-at-home exercise was intensified in Anambra, as residents, especially in Onitsha and environs, stayed indoors.
A resident of Okpoko, Onitsha, identified as Okamnobi, said the people intensified the sit-at-home to further express their disappointment to the disobedience of court orders by the Federal Government.
“It has become part of us to always see Monday as a resting day but if the markets, shops, schools, banks, courts, among others can reopen, then people will be forced to return to Monday as a working day.
“We are happy with the Appeal Court judgement in favour of Nnamdi Kanu but because we are used to staying indoors on Mondays, the court judgement even if it is in favour, didn’t stop us because that day has been earmarked for club, town and other meetings for people,” he said further.
A trader at Nkwo Nnewi Triangle market, who simply identified herself as Ogochukwu, said it would be hard to discontinue the Monday sit-at-home exercise as people had taken it to be a work-free day.
“Brother, leave the Monday sit-at-home for now because it has become part of us. Even government functionaries also observe Monday sit-at-home. If they want to stop it, they should provide adequate security, nobody wants to take unnecessary risk. Until schools, markets, courts, banks and others reopen, it will remain like this, people even now enjoy it than before,” she added.
Although the state police command, through its spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga, assured the people of adequate security, while telling them to ignore the sit-at-home, the pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
