The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called the general public to disregard the claim of the Nigerian military that its personnel were responsible for stopping the infamous Monday sit-at-home.
SaharaReporters had reported that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, had claimed early this month that sit-at-home order enforced by IPOB was ended as a result of the heightened efforts of his men and collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
He had said, “We have equally heightened our efforts in containing criminalities perpetrated in the South East Region by the Indigenous People of Biafra and Eastern Security Network. Through Operation Udo Ka, our troops have, in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, put an end to the infamous sit-at-home order that has almost crippled socio-economic activities in the Region."
IPOB had declared sit-at-home in August 2021 to demand the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, from illegal detention at facility of the Department of State Services (DSS). Later IPOB called off the sit-at-home following sustained outcry from the elders and Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
However, reacting to the Chief of Army Staff claim, IPOB in statement on Friday, described the claim as unable to hold water.
The statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, entitled, “The public should ignore Nigeria Military claim of stopping Monday sit-at-home order in South East” IPOB maintained that it was their leader Nazi Nnamdi Kanu’s instruction to Simon Ekpa and his group that were still observing the sit-at-home that brought an end to it.
It asked the Nigerian security agencies to stop the claim of stopping Monday weekly sit-at-home in the South East, adding that their men always hid in barracks on Mondays during while the exercise lasted.
The statement partly read, “We therefore, request the general public to ignore the military and other security agencies. The claims of the Nigeria military of being responsible for stopping the infamous sit-at-homes are laughable and criminal.
“As much as the sit-at-home was an IPOB brainchild and a powerful strategy of IPOB before the Nigeria government agents hijacked and abused it, its ending was as a result of proactive actions and strategy by IPOB and our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu printed flyers, posters, and banners informing our people that sit-at-home is over and had been over. It is on record that IPOB discontinued Monday’s weekly sit-at-home after its first successful observation and our people’s voluntary compliance before Nigeria government agents claiming to be working for IPOB hijacked it and used it to commit crimes.
“Where were the Nigerian military and police when the people of South East were molested, intimidated and killed by hoodlums enforcing IPoB cancelled Monday weekly sit-at-home? They were all hiding in their barracks on Mondays while the sit-at-home lasted until our leader’s instruction that it must stop forthwith in Igbo land.
“The Nigeria military must stop telling lies that they stopped sit-at-home, they never did, they were rather hiding in their barracks while it lasted. IPoB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu stopped sit-at-home. Nigeria’s military has no capacity to stop the infamous Monday sit-at-home in Biafraland.”