Police Urge Residents to Ignore IPOB’s Sit-at-home Order in Imo

Tony Icheku in Owerri 

The Imo State Police Command yesterday  told residents to ignore  the three-day sit-at-home order of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

IPOB had  issued a sit-at-order in all the five South-east states in commemoration of its Biafran Day on May 30.

However, in a press statement, the Imo  Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, described  the order as “unlawful.”

He added that the State’s Commissioner of Police(CP), Mr Aboki Danjuma, has strategically deployed security operatives to all nooks and crannies to ensure public safety.

“The ommissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma, has urged the law-abiding residents of the state to disregard the unlawful and deleterious three days sit-at-home order imposed by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network (ESN),” the statement said.

It added: “And go about your lawful businesses without any form of fear or intimidation as the command in synergy with other security agencies has emplaced adequate security measures to evade any threat of attack by any insurgent group.

“Joint security operatives drawn from  the police, military, civil defense, road safety, immigration and fire service have been massively deployed to embark on confidence-building patrol and operation show of force across the 27 LGAs of the State, to ensure public safety.” 

Okoye warned those intending to disrupt the peace of the state to desist as the law is fully prepared to deal with anyone attempting to disrupt law and order in the State 

He urged residents to report any suspicious person or activities to the police.

“The command, therefore, is using this medium to warn anybody intending to destabilise the improved peace and security in the State by attempting to enforce the illegal sit-at-home order to better have a rethink as anyone caught in the act will be made to face full wrath of the law,” Okoye said.

“The commissioner of police calls on ‘Ndi Imo’ to be security conscious and swiftly report any suspicious person seen or clandestine activity observed within their vicinity to the nearest police station or via the command’s emergency lines 08034773600 or 08098880197.”