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By Madu Obi
Human activities were ground to a halt in the entire Anambra State as the residents observed fully the sit at home ordered by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to mark the Biafra Day.
Businesses, including markets, schools, government offices, motor parks, as well as police checkpoints that usually litter the roads in all parts of the state, were deserted.
IPOB had said that the day is used to honour all those who lost their lives during the civil war, as well as those who were killed in the cause of the agitation.
Except during the early days of the sit at home, following the detention of the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the observation on May 30 this year could be described as the most obeyed in the state, perhaps due to a threatening viral video warning people not to step out of their houses unless they want to be killed.
However, the state remained peaceful and very few private cars were seen along the major roads in the state.
The ever busy Enugu-Onitsha expressway was devoid of usual human and vehicular traffic and even men of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, that station themselves in strategic places could not come out.
The state Police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga said the command was fully aware of the activities of the Biafra agitators and urge the law-abiding citizens to disregard their propaganda.
Meanwhile, one suspected agitator was killed while allegedly planning with others to enforce sit at home.
The incident happened despite earlier warning by the Anambra State Police command against sit at home on Thursday as announced by IPOB.
The police spokesman in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga said that following a tip off, security operatives laid ambush along the Oba flyover in Idemili South local government area and intercepted the gang of four armed men operating on motorbikes.
Ikenga said one of them was demobilized, while the other three escaped the scene with bullet injuries.
According to the PPRO, the operatives recovered a locally made Beretta pistol, four expanded cartridges, two phones, and some signals/initials showing disloyalty to the Nigerian government.
"Preliminary information showed that the armed men were regrouping to enforce illegal sit-at-home on 30th May 2024" he said.
He added that the operatives are on the trail of the three fleeing armed members of the gang who escaped the scene, adding that the state Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Obono Itam has charged the operatives to sustain the tempo and continue to deny them the space they enjoy to commit havoc in the state.
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