* It won’t work in Ebonyi, Umahi counters
The Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) has ordered residents of the five Southeast states to sit-at-home on Nigeria’s Independence day – October 1 – thereby heightening tension in the region.
The region comprises Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.
IPOB declared that no celebration of any sort would take place in the region, warning that anybody seen outside on Friday would have him or herself to blame.
The Pro -Biafra group also warned that Nigeria flags in Igbo land should be dismantled in every establishment on October 1 and beyond.
It said the total shutdown in the Southeast is to demonstrate its rejection by the Federal government of Nigeria.
The group gave the order via a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful.
However, Ebonyi State governor Dave Umahi urged residents of the State to discountenance the directive, and go about their normal businesses, insisting that the order will not have effect in the State
Umahi made the declaration in Abakaliki on Thursday.
He said the October 1 date is important to Nigeria and equally important to Ebonyi State, which was created on October 1, 1996.
The governor said Ebonyi State has been so much deprived in the past and is trying to catch up with the rest of the country with innovations.
“So anybody that says `sit-at-home should know that Ebonyi people are not going to sit at home.
“I appeal to the entire Southeast people to remember the danger of this order. Many people have been killed for no reason because of it.
“Agitation is natural and fundamental, but nobody is justified to carry guns illegally to kill other people.
“We condemn in totality the insecurity in the Southeast being instigated by our people.”