Scaremongering and Sit-at-home Order in South East

David-Chyddy Eleke looks at the many sit-at-home orders placed on South east zone by factional leader of outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr Simon Ekpa, and how he achieves it via scaremongering.

separatist leader and Finland based factional leader of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr Simon Ekpa, recently ordered a week-long sit at home exercise in the South east zone of the country. In a video seen by THISDAY, he threatened to deal with anyone who dared to come out in all the states of the South East.

Ekpa said the exercise was necessary, to pressure the federal government to release the leader of IPOB, Mr Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of States Services (DSS), for two years now.

But the same Ekpa had severally been dismissed, and his messages discountenaced by the Kanu-led faction of IPOB. The media and publicity secretary of the group, Emma Powerful, had severally issued statements, dismissing him as an impostor, said to be rather working against Kanu’s release, and has long been expelled from the group.

In Anambra State, the week-long sit at home exercise ordered by Ekpa revealed how he uses falsehood to scare South easterners, into obeying his orders. Ekpa’s week-long sit-at-home orders showed that it was to start on Monday and run all through the week, with a break on Friday. The exercise was however not heeded in Anambra, where businesses continued as usual, save for Monday, which has become almost cast in stone as sit-at-home days.

The noncompliance in Anambra may have irked Ekpa and his gang, leading to the rumours that there were plans to attack Anambra State on Friday.

Previously, gunmen suspected to be loyal to him had on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday attacked Ebonyi and Enugu States. In Ebonyi, videos circulated on social media showed gunmen, who were said to have already been arrested, destroying wares at Ishieke market. Another showed them traumatizing Enugu residents, including innocent school children, who were made to kneel down and beg for their lives.

The rumour of a planned attack on Anambra penultimate Friday had gone wide, but it was however ignored, as residents went about their businesses. Markets, motor parks, schools and other businesses opened for business, and transactions were already going on well in various places, until around 10:30am, when suddenly pandemonium broke in various parts of the state.

THISDAY reporter was among a team of journalists who had been invited by the senator representing Anambra Central senatorial zone, Senator Victor Umeh. The journalists riding in same vehicle had arrived Aguluzoigbo in Anaocha Local Government Area, to behold a community in pandemonium.

At St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Aguluzoigbo where a burial mass was holding a team of battle-ready security men, comprising of police, vigilante operatives and soldiers, were all at red alert. A woman, who operates a kiosk infront of the shop was frantically trying to close her shop, over a security alert she had gotten. She told journalists that there were rumours that Afor Agulu, a market in Agulu community, very close to Aguluzoigbo was being attacked by gunmen.

Surprisingly, the team of journalists had moments back past through the same Afor Agulu to arrive at Aguluzoigbo, and noticed no scare at all, or any incident. No one could identify anyone, who actually experienced attack, or agreed to knowing anyone attacked at Afor Agulu, which meant that it was all rumour. The rumour spread round the community, causing businesses to hurriedly shut down, while security men stationed at the church thoroughly searched anyone walking, riding or driving by.

While all these happened, THISDAY gathered that there was pandemonium in Awka, the state capital. Parents hurriedly withdrew their children from school, businesses closed abruptly and people ran helter skelter, over unsubstantiated stories of attacks in various parts of the town.

Onitsha was not an exemption, as stories flew in the air about attacks by gunmen in various parts. Some people even said there were deaths, resulting from gunmen attacks, over refusal to adhere to sit-at-home orders. A parent, told THISDAY that he has hurriedly withdrawn his children from school for fear of attacks. The parent who failed to disclose his name said there were rumours that gunmen were operating at Eke Awka market, and would be headed to Aroma afterwards, and since his children attend school in the area, he hurriedly withdrew them, before they got to the area.

Meanwhile, a trader in Eke Awka market told journalists on phone that there was no attack in the market, rather there was news that Aroma Junction was under siege, and that the gunmen would move to Eke Awka market, afterwards, making both statement by the trader and the parent to conflict.

In Onitsha, a resident, Mr Felix Eze: said “I heard that six people have so far been killed around Upper Iweka. I’m not in Onitsha now, but I have friends who are giving me update about the happenings in the town.”

When THISDAY insisted that he called and ask any of his contact if they witnessed any attack personally, he called back to say that all stories about attacks were all third party narrations, as no one actually witnessed any.

Anambra State government reacting through the Press secretary to the State governor, Mr Christian Aburime, attributed the scare to misrepresentation. Though he acquised that there was misrepresentation in Onitsha. He said Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) operatives, who were on patrol were mistaken for illegal gunmen, causing the scare in the state. He decried the sustained falsehood on social media, by people he described as enemies of Anambra State, who have been trying to de-market the state.

Also, the spokesperson of AVG, Mr Nweke Nweke, circulated videos, showing men of the group, patrolling in Nnewi town, capturing a busy market, to suggest that rumours of attacks in the city was false.

But the state police command dismissed all the rumours as propaganda deployed by Ekpa and his men to achieve a successful sit at home. The spokesperson of Anambra State Police command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, who spoke on the matter said: “We have observed with great dismay, the mischievous act of persons sharing false security alerts/messages, and doctored old videos of security incidents to cause tension/panic in the State. Given the above the Command shall invoke relevant cyber laws on persons found wanting in this regard.”

He dismissed allegations of attacks anywhere in the state, saying the police has adequately mobilized to counter any attack in the state.

On the same day when there was pandemonium in the state, THISDAY correspondent visited many parts of the state including: Nnewi, Anaocha,  Idemili North, Idemili South, and Ekwusigo, but experienced no threat anywhere.

Owing to the fear of attack advertised by the separatists, most communities visited during a tour were thoroughly deserted. In Nnewi, not even the presence of vigilantes operatives patrolling the city could embolden many to come out fully for their business.

The week-long sit-at-home order has elapsed. Though in Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo States, there were reports of physical violence, but in Anambra, all rumours heard about attacks seemed to be mere scaremongering, orchestrated by those who ordered the exercise, to scare everyone away from the streets, and achieve compliance.