Sit-at-home: Army chief orders raid on IPOB hideouts…

The Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has ordered troops to seize control of areas where the  Indigenous People of Biafra enforce their sit-at-home order throughout the South-East states.

The order came after a Finland-based pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, announced that there would be a two-weeks sit-at-home in the South-East region from July 31.

According to him, the order was to demand the immediate and unconditional release of the detained IPOB leader,  Nnamdi Kanu, as well as facilitate the freedom of Biafra nation, among others.

Ekpa warned that failure to comply with the sit-at-home order would attract ‘heavy consequences’.

However, speaking in an interview, the Director,  Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu,  declared that such an announcement was unlawful and would not be condoned.

He said the troops of the 82 Division had been given an order to work with other security agencies to ensure citizens go about their businesses freely.

The army spokesman called on Nigerians in the South-East region to disregard the sit-at-home order, urging them to support the security forces to defeat IPOB.

Similarly, the police have vowed to resist the sit-at-home order in any part of the South-East.

The Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi said that the police had killed and arrested non-state actors enforcing the order,  adding that the force would not rest on its oars.

Adejobi disclosed that the police were keeping a watch on the sponsors of the agitators.