Schools Declare Emergency Holiday, Residents Panic As IPOB Orders Sit-at-Home

Category: Nigeria News

Private and missionary schools have shut down in Imo State as a result of the sit-at-home ordered by the Indigenous People of Biafra on Monday, May 31, 2021, throughout the South-East region.

Residents of Owerri also resorted to panic buying on Thursday in order to prepare for the possible fallout of the order.

While some schools were shut down till Tuesday next week, others gave their pupils one week rest at home.

The schools asked the students to stay at home for the period to avoid any casualty.

For instance, a message from schools run by the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri asked parents to keep their children at home from Thursday, May 27, to Tuesday, June 1, 2021.

The message from the Directorate of Education, Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, read, “Leveraging on the already scheduled public holiday for tomorrow, we have considered it expedient to allow the students/pupils enjoy a longer weekend to resume on Tuesday, June 1, 2021.

“Boarding students should not be forced to go home. Those who wish to stay back in school should be taken care of.”

Residents storm various markets to buy foodstuffs in readiness for the sit-at-home.

At Eke Onunwa and the Relief Market, there was an unusual rush by buyers at various foodstuffs stands.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, asked the people to ignore the separatist group’s sit-at-home order.

He said that the state government had the capacity to enforce law and order during and after the period.

IPOB had said human and vehicular movement would be restricted across the South-East on Monday to mark the anniversary of the Biafra 54 years ago.

As a result, it said all markets, parks, schools, airports and others would be shut down.