A Commercial bus driver who violated IPOB’s Independence Day Sit–at–home order set ablaze

The yesterday’s sit–at–home ordered by the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, was totally observed in all parts of the South East as cities in the zone were deserted. The sympathy sit-at-home was declared by IPOB for people from Southeast not to be part of Nigeria’s Independence Day celebration, saying that there was nothing to celebrate.

Apart from the incident in Oboama Nguru in Aboh Mbaise, Imo State where enforcers of the sit-at-home burnt to death a commercial bus driver, people just stayed in their homes. The area witnessed a similar incident on August 9, 2021 when four buses were burnt and three persons killed during the first sit-at-home.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that the L300 Mitsubishi bus was heading towards Umuahia from Owerri with some passengers on board when they were accosted by the enforcers.

According to an eye witness, the passengers were chased away by the enforcers before setting the bus ablaze, with the driver inside.

The eye witness said: “The bus was heading towards Umuahia from Owerri. They stopped the bus at Ama Well, Oboama Nguru in Abo Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, shot sporadically, chased away the passengers and set the driver and the bus ablaze. “It was terrible and I wonder when this whole thing will end. The way people are being killed in South East is worrisome”.

Unlike the past sit –at –home, most people did not make any attempt to step out, thus grinding economic activities to a halt. Streets in Owerri, Umuahia, Aba, Onitsha, Enugu, Awka and Abakaliki, Okigwe, Orlu and Nnewi were totally deserted.

In Anambra, the killing of Dr. Chike Akunyili and another medical doctor, Dr. Ezenwa who had a private hospital at Okija, as well as the burning down of the Ajali Police Station put fears in the people with the result that even those who were braving it to come out in the past, could not do so yesterday.