•As residents await lawyers’ next move

More than a week after the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was convicted of terrorism charges and handed a life jail by a Federal High Court in Abuja, the people of the South-East have continued to exhibit optimism that his case would eventually be resolved politically, and he would be allowed to go home.

This is just as some cautious calm continues to pervade the streets of the cities, towns and villages of the five states in the South-East.

In Abia, residents optimistic about Kanu’s freedom

In Abia, the Monday sit-at-home exercise, which was introduced in the South East as a result of his arrest and trial, continued on Monday. Some had thought the sit-at-home would automatically stop, but that has yet to happen.

Before Kanu’s conviction, the sit-at-home order was majorly observed in Aba, the commercial hub of the state. The state capital, Umuahia, where IPOB leader hails from, was hardly affected by the ordrr, as people have been moving freely in the city, with businesses going on in full swing.

The scenario did not change in both cities last Monday. In Umuahia, government offices and other business concerns, including banks, schools, markets were in operation.

But in Aba, the sit-at-home was observed. Markets, schools, banks and other public offices were under lock and key, although it was gathered that vehicles operated unhindered.

As usual, youths devoted the day to playing football on the streets of the city. Many women and men groups have shifted their meeting days from Sundays to Mondays, ensuring the day was not in any way wasted. Although IPOB has come out severally to distance itself from the sit-at-home order and urged people in the city to move about their normal businesses on Mondays, many decided to stay at home on their own for the fear of the unknown.

A resident of the city, Chief Kalu Okeke, who spoke to Saturday Sun on phone, partly blamed government for the continued observance of the order in the city.

Speaking from the city, a trader, James Uko equally attributed the sustained sit-at-home to the fear of the unknown rather than on patriotic grounds.

“The previous administration in the state started this idea of locking up of markets and offices, thinking it was a way of abetting the security situation in the city. Even when people were ready to go to markets for their businesses, they were always under lock and key.

“When the present administration came on board, we had in mind they were going to change the scenario, but it has continued. For traders in the city, Mondays are prime days for their businesses, but with the persistent sit-at-home on such prime days, several billions of naira have been lost no doubt.”

Uko called on the Alex Otti administration to have a rethink and order the reopening of markets and other public offices to allow the sit-at-home to die a natural death now that the IPOB leader has been jailed.

In a surprising situation, Umuahia, the country home of the IPOB leader, does not observe the sit-at-home, not even on the day he was jailed.

As of now, nothing much in the city showed that their son has been put out of circulation at least for now. The immediate past President-General of Isiama Afaraukwu, the home town of Kanu, Ikechukwu Ndubueze explained this in an interview with Saturday Sun.

He said as their son has been going about the agitation for Biafra without violence, they in Umuahia decided to go by this philosophy.

“It is not that we do not know what to do, but we decided to play cool because this is the home town of Kanu and also the state capital. There are certain things we will do and different meanings will be ascribed to the agitation, so we decided to be working behind the scene.

“Even on his day of conviction, it wasn’t difficult to at least mobilise our youths to protest on the streets of Umuahia, but we decided to remain calm and follow a more civil approach because we know our son will eventually be freed because he did not commit any offence.”

A public analyst in Abia, Peter Anosike said: “Initially, Umuahia used to observe the sit-at-home order like other areas in the South East. But when the IPOB announced the discontinuance of the order, we decided to put a stop to its observance.

“You know that when fifth columnists hijacked the order, many atrocities were committed in the guise of enforcing it, even against the directives of IPOB.”

He said now that Kanu has been convicted, the sit-at-home, which was introduced as a way of showing solidarity on the first day he was taken to court, should be discontinued to curb the man hours and economic losses the region has incurred since the order came into force.

Anambra residents call for caution, await political solution

Kanu’s conviction also did not have any major effect on the usual sit-at-home exercise on Mondays. Monday November 24 went by as usual with the normal sit-at-home in Anambra. Though major markets, banks and schools in Onitsha remained shut as always, there was unrestricted human and vehicular movement.

The sit-at-home effect which started with total lockdown of human activities across different parts of the state is gradually wearing off. Markets and offices now open on Mondays in Awka, while Onitsha is gradually picking up. Street markets open for business in Onitsha last Monday, but major markets like Onitsha Main market, Ogbaru main market, New Tyre Market Nkpor, Building materials market, Ogidi, New Motor Spare Parts market, Nkpor, Old Motor Spare Parts, Obosi and Ochanja market, Onitsha all remain closed on Monday.

The Monday sit-at-home is being used to observe activities usually held on Sundays in Onitsha and environs, as residents now use the day as a period to engage in social activities like naming ceremonies, village and church meetings, among others.

One of the respondents, Ekene Okoye, a trader at Mgbuka Obosi market said:

“If you look at the scenario, you find out that people here have adjusted to the lifestyle of Monday sit-at-home. The compulsion to stay at home by the pro-Biafra agitators is no more there but people now stay at home either out of fear or a situation that they are now even enjoying it.

“The enforcers of sit-at –home succeeded at its peak then because of the fear they forced into everyone’s system. That time, you know that many who ventured out early in the morning either paid with their lives or had their vehicles and other belongings burnt by the hoodlums. That scenario made everyone to scamper for safety and stay at home on Mondays. That time, some market leaders who dared open the gates of their markets also paid dearly for it. The chairman of Mgbuka Amazu market along Onitsha-Owerri Road was ambushed and kidnapped by these boys because he opened the market and till today , he has not been seen dead or alive for almost five years now,

“Today, everyone has adjusted to the situation that some people won’t even like to go to market for business on Mondays again in Onitsha. We are not happy that Nnamdi Kanu was jailed but we are already weary and tired of the forced and compulsory sit-at-home. Most hoodlums cashed into the Kanu detention to commit all manner of criminal activities which will take the South-East many years to recover from. Imagine the families whose loved ones were killed over this unfortunate situation we found ourselves. Their lives can never be the same again.”

A market leader in Onitsha, Emenike Emelumadu told the reporter that businesses activities still goes on every Mondays in Onitsha these days though the major entrance gates of those markets may be partially closed.

“Importers use Mondays to offload their goods into warehouses in Onitsha these days. We are looking forward to the time when full business activities will resume in full swing in Onitsha. It is the people that will determine when that shall be and not government or the non-state actors,” he said.

A public opinion analyst, Iyke Ogbonna in his own submission urged those who stoked the fire in the first place to desist from taking such path because according to him, people of the South-East were not the cause of Nnamdi Kanu’s incarceration.

“I know that many of them have been decimated by the security forces now but we have to watch it because before you know it, they may rise again and start another round of disturbance and killings now that Kanu has been convicted. They should realise for the umpteenth time that the situation about Kanu now requires political solution, tact and diplomacy which I believe will be followed. Let the ruffians never rise again so that we can fully come out of our badly wounded situation,” he said.

No sit-at-home in Enugu

Despite the conviction of the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, normal activities continued across Enugu on Monday, with residents refusing to return to the once-dominant sit-at-home culture.

A tour of major parts of the city showed schools, banks, markets and state government offices open and operating fully. The development reflects the success of Governor Peter Mbah’s efforts to end the weekly lockdown, which he prioritised immediately after assuming office in 2023.

However, not all institutions are fully aligned with the state’s position. A visit to the Federal Secretariat in Independence Layout revealed that many federal workers still stay away from duty on Mondays.

One federal worker, who declined to have his name published, said their absence has become routine.

“Mondays have become free days for most of us here,” he said.

Residents say the fear that once gripped the state has largely faded, as no recent attacks have been recorded anywhere in Enugu linked to sit-at-home enforcers.

Commercial driver Chigozie Agboeze said he resumed Monday activities long before enforcement waned.

“I decided to start coming out on Mondays a long time ago. Everyone knows the issue of Nnamdi Kanu and I support his release, but we can’t keep locking ourselves indoors. Before the mandatory sit-at-home, we used to choose our own protest days.

“But when people started killing their brothers because of sit-at-home, nobody was happy. Government brought security and now we move freely. We are not happy he was convicted, but we have other ways to show it, not by sitting at home,” Agboeze said.

At Holy Ghost Motor Park, long-distance transporters still operate cautiously. Driver Wilfred Bassey said they avoid Monday trips due to low patronage and lingering fear among travellers.

“We don’t load here on Mondays. Today the place is full, but on Monday you will only see town-service buses. Those of us who travel long distances don’t come out because there are no passengers. People are still afraid something may go wrong on the road, and if anything happens to you on a Monday, people will blame you,” Bassey said.

But in Ogbete Market, business flows as usual. Traders say they have moved past the years of disruption caused by the weekly shutdown.

“I heard people saying we should sit at home because of Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction, but we no longer observe it here. Ogbete is always full on Monday or any other day. We are not happy, but we are just recovering from the years of sit-at-home,” a trader, Osondu Okeke said.

With many residents choosing normalcy over fear, Monday in Enugu is gradually reverting to an ordinary workday—though full compliance still varies across sectors

Ebonyi shuns sit-at-home

In Ebonyi State, there was no sit-at-home last Monday just like other Mondays in the last two years.

The state was peaceful with people going about their businesses without any hindrance.

Schools, filling stations, market,s including International Market, Kpirikpiri Market, Ekeukwu Market, Eke Imoha Market, shops, hospitals, offices, recreation centres and other places all opened for business.

Major roads in Abakaliki, the state capital, including Ogoja Road, Afikpo/Onueke Highway, Abakaliki/Enugu Highway and other expressways in the state, were all busy with heavy human and vehicular movements.

Motor parks, including Central Park located opposite International Market, Ochu-udo Park, Ishieke Park, Spera-in-Deo Park and other motor parks located in the capital city were all in operations with motorists loading passengers and goods

However, there was no inter-state travel, especially within the South East on that Monday like other Mondays because of sit-at-home.

One of the commercial drivers shuttling Owerri, Imo State, Sunday Morning Okoro told Saturday Sun that he couldn’t load passengers because of the sit-at-home.

He said he has not been travelling to Owerri because of the sit-at-home and that it is usually serious in the state.

“I have not been travelling to Owerri since the sit-at-home started because the road is very unsafe. Many travellers, security personnel and other road users have been killed on Okigwe road.”

In Imo, defence consortium optimistic ruling would be reversed

Kanu’s conviction and imprisonment sent shock waves to residents of Imo State after the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja. There was circulation of a mandatory sit-at-home order by some faceless individuals and groups before the day of the ruling, which caused panic and made some schools in the state to send their students back home.

Another pro-Biafra group, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) believes the people of the South East were observing the sit-at-home as a personal sacrifice in solidarity with the imprisonment of the IPOB leader.

MASSOB leader, Uchenna Madu speaking on the order said: “The sit-at-home exercise has become a big phenomenon in Biafra Land. It’s no longer in control of whoever that called for it; the people of Biafra are now in full control of their destinies and their mindsets.

“The end or continuation of the sit-at-home exercise lies with the choice of the people. Ndigbo whose business and other social time are being wasted count it as a voluntary sacrifice for Biafra actualisation and restoration.”

Publicity Secretary of the Eastern People’s Congress (EPC), Udensi Udensi, expressed fear that Kanu’s sentence may prolong the sit-at-home existing in the zone adding that it poses a threat to peace and unity in the country. He called on international bodies to intervene.

The Igbo National Council (INC) on its own part, through its National President, Chilos Godsent, warned of the dangers of continued incarceration of Kanu, expressing fears that it might escalate rising tension in the South East.

He said: “We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to quickly intervene and grant Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Presidential Pardon in order to reduce rising tension in the South East.”

Meanwhile, a team of lawyers – Nnamdi Kanu Global Defence Consortium has urged its supporters to remain hopeful that the Appeal Court would restore normalcy by reversing the judgement.

In a statement signed by Jude Njoku, the team said: “This judgment will not survive appellate scrutiny. A notice of appeal will be filed. The grounds are rooted firmly in constitutional supremacy, statutory repeal, the doctrine of nullity, and the mandatory application of the extant 2022 Act.

“The Consortium remains confident that the Court of Appeal will restore legality, uphold constitutional norms, and vacate this defective conviction.” (The Sun)