Palpable fear has gripped the people of South East Region in Nigeria, following the declaration of a sit-at-home order issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
Streets in many parts of the six states in the region are currently deserted in observance of the order to mark the two days of Biafra Remembrance Day 2021.
Last week, many state governments and security agents asked residents of the state to ignore the order and go about their lawful businesses.
The residents, however, ignored the assurance of both the government and the security agents and decided to stay in their homes for fear of being attacked by some irate youths.
Markets, banks, motor parks, and other commercial places, including schools and government offices, are under lock.
Consequently, economic and social activities in Enugu state have been paralyzed as the State observed the order.
Vanguard reporter who went round the state to monitor and observe the sit at home gathered that the Major Markets, Banks, Parks, Schools in Enugu metropolis were deserted and abandoned.
Ogbete main market, New market, Kenyatta market, Gariki were deserted. Schools, Parks like Onitsha South mass transit, GOU, Young, Ifesinachi, Royal mass transit, Banks, and shopping malls like Shoprite visited were deserted and under lock and key.
At Okpara Avenue, Abakaliki Road, New Layout, Ogbete market, Agbani, Abakpa, and other major towns and areas in the state, everywhere looked deserted, as people were not seen moving in pairs while commercial buses and tricycle riders were nowhere to be seen.
Other markets in the metropolis that were affected include Aria market, Kenyatta market, Artisan market, Garki, and Akwata market.
In the same vein, academic activities at public and private schools in the metropolis were affected as no student was seen in schools visited.
A visit to some secondary schools and tertiary institutions in Enugu showed total compliance in the Remembrance Day celebration. Some of the schools are ESUT School of Medicine, Parkland, Enugu and Enugu State College of Education, Technical, ESCET.
Heavily armed security men were seen stationed at strategic junctions while others soldiers and Mobile policemen were on patrol vehicles moving around the metropolis.
From Ebonyi State, 100 percent as shops, business centres, parks, stadium, recreational centres, banks, Universities, schools both private and public among others are not opened for activities.
Vehicles and motorcycles are hardly seen on the road as the state capital is unusually in a state of quietness.
Around Ozibo Development Centre, a group of young men were seen molesting passersby and motorcycle operators for violating the sit-at-home order.
Situation report within the axis of Nnodo, Ebebe junction, and Ogbaga road reveals total compliance to the sit-at-home order in the State.
The situation is not different in Abia, Anambra, and Imo as virtually all roads, markets, offices and banks are locked and deserted in solidarity with the Biafran agitators.
