Ebonyi gov threatens to seize shops locked on Monday, says IPOB’s no-movement order foolishness

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has threatened to seize any shop or business premise locked up on Monday in compliance with the no movement order of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The threat came as the governor described the sit-at-home order by IPOB as “foolishness”

Umahi, who issued the seizure threat on Saturday at the State Old Executive Council Chambers, Abakaliki, during a live broadcast to mark May 29, maintained that on Monday, all markets must be fully operational, warning that anybody whose store was not opened would forfeit such to the state government.

He equally urged security agencies to deploy security personnel to protect residents everywhere in the state, insisting that there must be free movement in the state.

Umahi therefore charged the youths, the local government chairmen, politicians, stakeholders and security agencies to ensure that nobody was molested in the state.

As part of the measures to ensure that the IPOB order is not effective in the state, Umahi announced a ban on any form of procession or gathering “till further notice.”

“I have been getting voices from certain agitators that tomorrow, there will be no movement, this is foolishness. If there is no movement in south-east, is there no movement in the whole country? What an Ebonyi man will never accept is to go into second slavery under any guise.

“We know the Biafra we need is to have enough money so that we cleanse up the toga of the slavery that our brothers and sisters subjected us into when we were under what they want us to be under. We need money, if you love Ebonyi State, bring money, come up and put one construction. Let us see your houses and investments in Ebonyi state,” he said.

“So, I want to say that there will free movement throughout today, throughout tomorrow and ongoing.

“On Sunday, I will want people who are of Christian faith to go about their church services and pray for our nation, pray for the souls that have departed both during the war and now that people are being killed,” Umahi urged.

“On Monday, markets must be fully operational. Anyone whose shop is not opened will forfeit the shop. I ask the security agencies to massively deploy security people to protect Ebonyians everywhere,” he said.