By Chimaobi Nwaiwu – Nnewi

Even with the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, suspension of its Sit-at-home order on Friday through a statement by its leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, through IPOB, Directorate of State, DoS, Onitsha the commercial city and Nnewi, the industrial town of Anambra State were Monday locked down.

Apart from the two cities in Anambra, Ihiala and Ekwusigo Local Government Areas were totally lockdown as the beehives of commercial activities at Ihiala and Ozubulu, and Mgbidi in Oru Local Government Area, Imo State due to their locations along Onitsha Owerri road disappeared, as motor parks, shops, and other business and commercial activities located in the areas were under lock and key.

The two Army Check Points along Onitsha Owerri road, precisely at Mgbidi and Ihiala, where motorists from Onitsha to Owerri and Owerri to Onitsha spend more than two hours with passengers and occupants of both private and commercial vehicles, except the drivers alighting and raising up their hands walk past were deserted as no vehicles were seen on the dual carriage road.

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Upper Iweka Onitsha, known for its bustling business and transport activities with all manner of touts operating and residents who live within Awada and Okpoko trooping out to transact business in near by markets like Relief Market, Bridge Head Markets, Onitsha Medicine Market, popularly known as Ogbo Ogwu, and Electronics International Markets, was a ghost of itself as people deserted the roads.

Popular markets in Onitsha, Nnewi and their suburbs, including Onitsha Main Market, Ochanja Central Market, New and Old Motor Spare Part Markets Nkpor, Building Material International Market Ogidi and New Tyre Market Nkpor, Nkwo Nnewi Market, Timber Market Nnewi, Agbardo Market Nnewi, all surprisingly shut for the days business.

Banks and other store and shop and other business and commercial activities in Onitsha and Nnewi also closed shops as people deserted the roads where they are located.

Residents of the two cities of Onitsha and Nnewi were completely off the road unlike last Monday August 9, 2021, IPOB directed Sit-at-home, where people were seen living round the streets, thereby fueling the impression that even when IPOB suspended the exercise, people totally observed this cancelled exercise more that last week.

Streets and roads within Onitsha metropolis and the attendant business and human activities where deserted with nobody see loving round or even youths who turns the roads to playing fields were seen anywhere around the roads gathering, let alone playing foot ball.

Security agents including Police, Army, were seen anywhere on the check points and  junction in Onitsha. However, Vanguard sighted Naval ratings along Onitsha Owerri road, but sited in their van, attempting to drive off probably because of emptiness of the road.

However, IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, who was notified about the surprising desertion of the roads and how people decided to observe the Sit-at-home, had nothing to say other than, “let them go ahead.”

Vanguard News Nigeria