IPOB’s Sit-At-Home Order: 'Crazy!' - Nigerian Official Tells Outlawed Group

The Ebonyi State Government on Friday called on the people of the State to go about their normal businesses and ignore the call made by the leadership of outlawed the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB  for people to sit at home on October 1, 2020, AllNews reports.

IPOB had, through its Spokesman,  Emma Powerful called on Biafrans at home and in diaspora to sit at home on October 1, 2020.

The controversial group said the sit-at-home order was aimed at expressing displeasure over the bad governance being experienced in Nigeria.

But Commissioner for Internal Security and Border Peace in Ebonyi state, Stanley Emegha cautioned IPOB in Abakaliki, describing their call as the height of craziness.

“How can you tell people who have families to sit at home? Will you come and put food on their tables," Emegha contested according to Vanguard.

“In the first place, we don’t even know if their is anything like IPOB existing in the State. People should disregard the said statement and go about their normal businesses on that day”.

Police tell IPOB to steer clear of Ebonyi

Furthermore, Commissioner of Police in the state, Philip Maku warned IPOB to steer clear of the state.

He said the proscribed group does not have the right to tell people to sit at home.

“People have fundamental human right of movement, if you try to restrict their right to move about and transact their lawful business activities, you are crossing the red line.

“If anyone tries to force people to sit at home, the Police will not fail to deal decisively with such persons”, he said.

IPOB's strategy of Civil disobedience

Leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu's pronounced strategy has been the application of civil disobedience in pressing home his demand for the freedom of his people.

In various air broadcasts, Kanu stated how his adoption of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi's forms of civil disobedience will lead to the "restoration of Biafra".

In an interview granted to Newsweek, Nnamdi Kanu opined his belief in the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, "I hope that what we are looking for can be accomplished peacefully. I am an advocate of passive resistance. Gandhi and Martin Luther King tried it to very good effects, so why should it not work in our case?"

Prior to the 2019 presidential election in Nigeria, IPOB had threatened to boycott the election.

According to Kanu, "It [the boycott] is a multi-faceted approach. It is civil disobedience, passive resistance, it is an expression of our resentment of Nigeria and what it represents".

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu Birthday: 10 Things You Might Not Know About Lead Biafra Agitator

His position on election boycotts was widely criticised by local Nigerian politicians who argued to the contrary.

On the eve of the election, Kanu lifted the boycott position and urged Biafrans to participate in the election.