Two persons have lost their lives during a confrontation between the Nigerian Army and suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who were trying to enforce sit-at-home order at the Izuchukwu junction area of the Nnewi roundabout, Anambra State.
KanyiDaily recalls that IPOB had issued a sit-at-home order in the South-East every Monday as part of its ways of protesting the detention of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, by the federal government.
The proscribed group said that the lockdown tagged ‘Ghost Monday’ will also affect all schools, marketplaces, and other economic activities in the region.
According to Vanguard, the sit-at-home order got bloody on this morning during a confrontation with the army in Nnewi, resulting in the death of an IPOB leader alongside a commercial motorcyclist.
How IPOB Sit-At-Home Turned Bloody In Nnewi
It was learnt that the problem started at about 7.00 am when some IPOB members allegedly came out to enforce the Sit at home order and in the process blockade the major roads in the industrial town.
Some unidentified soldiers were said to have rushed to the area to clear the items used to block the roads, and in the process an altercation ensued between them and the IPOB members, leading to the soldiers opening fire on them.
An eyewitness said that the two victims were actually killed by gunshots from the unidentified soldiers, who quickly took off immediately after they fell to their bullets.
However, another source told Vanguard that the two people killed were commercial motorcyclists who came out for brisk business but were sighted near the blockade put on the road by the soldiers.
The military men were said to have started questioning the motorcyclists on why the road was blocked and following jot exchange of words, the motorcyclists were shot by the soldiers who hurriedly left the scene.
Residents said gunshots were heard at Izuchukwu Junction in Nnewi as early as 7:00 am, only for them to later see that three buses were set ablaze in the industrial city of the state by the unknown gunmen.
KanyiDaily had also reported how schools, Shops, banks, and other businesses in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State, were shut down on Monday in compliance with the sit-at-home order given by the IPOB.