A motion to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, who are illegal, from custody was rejected by the Senate.
Senator Osita Izunaso (Imo West) proposed the motion in an effort to address the South-East’s ongoing sit-at-home order, which is enforced by unidentified gunmen.
The lawmaker stated in the motion co-sponsored by other South Eastern lawmakers that the senators were aware that thousands of innocent people had died since the conflict began and that over a trillion dollars’ worth of property had been destroyed, driving away investors.
“The sit-at-home civil disobedience actions in the South-East have disrupted/destroyed economic activities and resulted in immeasurable financial losses for businesses, workers, and the local economy,” he declared. Because productivity declines and income is reduced when people are compelled to stay at home and businesses are kept closed, this has an impact on livelihoods and economic growth.
“The’sit-at-home’ demonstrations interfere with students’ education, causing missed classes and delays in academic progress. Disturbed that disruption of essential public services, such as healthcare, transportation, and waste disposal, continues to have a significant impact during “sit-at-home” protests and negatively affects the well-being and safety of the general population living in the South-East. And such prolonged disruptions have long-term effects on students’ learning outcomes and educational development.
To protest Kanu’s continued detention, IPOB had ordered a sit-at-home order every Monday throughout the South-East as of August 2021. Eventually, the separatist group revoked the directive.
However, despite the exercise being suspended by the IPOB faction led by Kanu, Simon Ekpa, the leader of a faction, has continued to issue sit-at-home orders in the area.
Gunmen enforcing the civil order frequently kill, maim, and attack residents of the five South-East states of Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, and Anambra for leaving their homes on Mondays and other days in violation of the order.
