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A vehicle conveying tomatoes and vegetables was, yesterday, set ablaze by persons suspected to be enforcing IPOB’s sit-at-home order in Enugu.

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The attack at Edem junction, Ibeagwa Nike, Enugu East Local Government Area, involved a truck suspected to be coming from the northern part of the country.

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Sympathisers were said to have put a call to the state fire service prompting a quick response by the Ogui Road Fire Service station to the scene.

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It was observed that commercial activities continued to be affected despite IPOB’s suspension of the order. Major markets in Enugu, including Ogbete and Abakpa markets, banks and petrol stations were shut.

Leadership of the IPOB have repeatedly announced an end to the Monday sit-at-home but some hoodlums have insisted it must continue until Nnamdi Kanu is released. This has resulted in violent attacks on soft targets especially commercial vehicles.

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In spite of the relaxation of the order, residents of Aba, Abia State, observed what many described as self-imposed sit-at-home, turning the commercial city into a ghost town.

Reports indicated that residents of Aba stayed at home out of fear of the unknown.

The city was said to have been deserted, particularly in the morning hours except the suburbs where commercial tricycle operators provided skeletal services.

Banks in the city shut their gates to customers, as markets although opened, but there were no traders.

Filling stations were all closed, the city was deserted as human and vehicular movements were restricted to the suburbs.

Schools closed their gates, forcing teachers, students and pupils to stay at home.

The state capital of Umuahia, however, witnessed a different story as the city bubbled more than it had in previous Mondays since the now suspended sit-at-home was announced about two months ago. People came out in their numbers on the streets indicating that life had fully returned to the city.

Banks opened for business, workers went to work, businesses bubbled in the various markets in the city, even as there were human and vehicular movements.

Students and pupils went to school while filling stations opened for business.

Some residents who spoke to Daily Sun expressed joy that life has returned to Umuahia on Mondays which they described as the prime day of the week in business activities.

Meanwhile, IPOB has raised the alarm over alleged plot by bandits sponsored to attack the South East.

Its Media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, disclosed in a statement while reacting to a media statement credited to one Shekau who claimed that IPOB was plotting to attack its own people in the east.

Powerful claimed that it was only a distraction and cover-up to pave way for the purported terrorists group’s invasion of the South East and South South.

“Contrary to the vomit by this inconsequential fellow, IPOB has no plans to attack South Easterners and South Southerners. In the first place, violence is not part of our philosophy.

“Assuming we want to resort to violence, how can we attack our people who we are fighting for; it does not make any sense. But we know their motive for peddling this falsehood as our intelligent report confirm the importation and stockpilling of arms from Pakistan for their planned invasion of Biafraland but we are waiting for them.

“We are so astonished that a terrorist like Shekau without surname will be the one telling Biafran people to hate their own while he and his kinsmen openly protect their own terrorists and bandits maiming and killing them in the the entire Northern region,” Powerful stated.

Also, the group denied speculations making the rounds that it had declared ‘no election’ in Anambra State even as the scheduled date draws near. The group said no official pronouncement has been made to that effect.

It explained that such was not their priority for now but to actualise its struggle for Biafra nation just as it warned against equating the group with Boko Haram and bandits, maintaining that such comparison can only be be mischievous.

“It is a pity that this ignoble fellow and attention seeker compared a non-violent movement like IPOB to Boko Haram terrorists created and groomed by the North to kill Jewish and Christian adherent, indigenous northerners and security agents.

“It is also important to note that contrary to speculations, IPOB has not officially declared ‘no election in Anambra State’. Our preoccupation is Biafra restoration. Anybody equating IPOB strategy with Boko Haram terrorists, bandits and Fulani herdsmen is ignorant and mischievous. Many acclaimed northerners don’t know what we are doing to restore Biafra,” Powerful said.

Source: www.sunnewsonline.net