Despite the suspension of the ‘every Monday’ sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the streets of Awka and Onitsha are still deserted as of 8 am on Monday.
In Onitsha main market as at 8 am, there were only a few traders who had come to the market, a source, Mr Theophilus Omaka, a trader told the Daily Post.
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“The market opens at 7 am every morning, and usually, on a Monday, after a long weekend, traders itch to come to their shops, and that means that as early as 6 am, most traders are already waiting for market officials to open their shops, so they can go to work.
“But today, it is already 8 am, and the markets are already open, but only a few traders have arrived. As I was coming to market from Fegge where I live, I found the whole street scanty, unlike what used to happen on Monday mornings when there is usually a rush,” he said.
In Awka, DAILY POST correspondent moved around to also find shops still closed as of 8 am.
Some residents, who spoke to this newspaper, said the news of the suspension was not widely circulated.
A trader at Aroma, popularly known as Oga Boss, who traders in phone parts said: “I didn’t plan to go out today because of the sit-at-home. I’m just hearing it from you that it has been suspended.”
IPOB, speaking through its publicity secretary, Mr Emma Powerful had two days ago called off the sit-at-home order, saying that the exercise will henceforth hold only on days its leader, Kanu would appear in court.