Sit-at-home: 1 dead, another in Enugu hospital

From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu, George Onyejiuwa, Owerri, Okey Sampson, Umuahia

There was total compliance with the sit-at-home order in Enugu, yesterday, as markets, banks, fuel stations, motor parks, departmental stores and both government and private offices did not open for business, while all roads were deserted.

Daily Sun went round the capital city and observed that yesterday’s compliance with the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Mondays, superseded the previous ones in Enugu.

It, however, turned violent as a man was shot dead around Umueze Awkunanaw, in the morning, with a gory picture of the victim in a pool of his blood going viral on social media. Another, a yet to be identified staff of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, was also shot on his way from work in the morning around 4 Corner, Nkanu West Local Government Area.

Governors and leaders of the zone had, in their eight-point communiqué at the end of their meeting at the Government House Enugu, among other things, condemned killings in the region and the sit-at-home order.

Those who complied with the sit-at-home order said the threat by the governors and leaders to end the order without a mention of the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu’s plight, triggered yesterday’s total compliance in Enugu.

The UNTH staff, said to be a security officer at the College of Medicine at the hospital, in a video watched by Daily Sun, said that he was on his way home after his night shift, in his tricycle (eke), when he was accosted by three masked men on a motorcycle, who shot him at close range, but that he miraculously survived and was responding to treatment.

The news of the two incidents brought fears on the people and made those who were preparing to go out to remain indoors.

Meanwhile, residents of Owerri, the Imo State capital, yesterday, observed the sit-at-home order by IPOB as they remained indoors.

Daily Sun went round the metropolis and discovered that all major markets in the capital city were closed, just as all commercial banks along the Bank road/Okigwe road and Wetheral road were all closed. Also, the usual busy Douglas, Tetlow, Wetheral and Okigwe roads were all deserted by commuters.

At Tetlow, a resident who identified himself as Chuka, said they decided to remain indoors to avoid being harmed.