By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Most of the cities in Anambra State were empty on Monday morning as people stayed indoors in compliance with the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The group had called for a shutdown of businesses in the South East states every Monday, effective today, August 9, 2021, as a way to pressurise the Federal Government to release its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Despite the counter statement by Kanu’s younger brother Kanunta Kanu cancelling the sit-at-home order, people adhered to the call by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, who insisted that the order was sacrosanct.

There was total compliance in Awka, the capital city of Anambra, as banks, shops, offices and eateries remained under lock and key.

While major parks in the city were also without vehicles and passengers, few cars were seen plying the roads as well as commercial tricycles.

Markets in the city were opened but the usual buying and selling was absent as few traders seen milling around were only discussing issues of the day.

A market leader at Eke Awka market who spoke on the condition of anonymity said: “The market leadership did its best by opening the market, but traders refused to come.

“You can see that some of the traders opened, but there are no customers. I think it is rather out of fear that people did not come to the market, and not because they want to comply with IPOB directive.”

Meanwhile, the threat by the State Government to withhold salaries of workers that abstain from work appears to have fallen on deaf ears as workers only rushed to the Jerome Udoji State Secretariat office to sign attendance and leave as quickly as they came.

When News Express correspondent moved round the city, police patrol vehicles were seen on every major street, with security men sitting in their vehicles, providing protection for the few people that were courageous enough to come out.