Some masked gunmen suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) reportedly tortured South-East residents to enforce the recent sit-at-home order given by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
According to sources, some armed men were going about beating and harassing South-East residents who dared to violate the sit-at-home order with cutlasses and long local guns.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, commercial motorcyclist (popularly called Okada rider) were waylaid by the gunmen, suspected to be members of IPOB or its militant arm, Eastern Security Network (ESN) and beaten up before the gunmen also jumped on their motorcycles and ordered him to move.
In a 38-second video, the okada rider fell victim of the gunmen in a community in the South-East region, believed to be in Imo State.
“Stop there. You dey craze. Get down,” one of the men yelled. “Sorry sir, sorry sir,” the motorcyclists were heard begging in the video.
The sit-at-home order was given to commemorate the Biafran Remembrance Day on Monday.
One Mr Ikenna Anichukwu, a teacher and resident of Obiagu Road said “Ordinarily, a newcomer in Enugu may think that people not moving about in the early hours of Saturday indicated compliance, but in fact, residents of the town are simply complying with the monthly sanitation programme of the Enugu State Government. Therefore, there is nothing like sit-at-home order.”
Tricycle operators, business owners, timber market, commercial bus drivers, all the inter-state motor parks, were fully operational without obstruction.
But in Owerri, the Imo State capital and surrounding communities, there was full enforcement of the sit-at-home order.
The sit-at-home paralysed economic and social activities as residents remained indoors, fearing possible clashes between IPOB members and the security agencies.
Aside from the presence of the military and police force, while people kept away from the popular Ekeukwu Owerri Market and the timber market in Naze.
A commercial motorist, Okechukwu Nnaji, said motorists started experiencing poor patronage from commuters from May 28.
“As I speak with you, I have not made N2,000 for three days now, I normally make N8,000 daily,” he had said.
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