The southeast has been thrown into tension over the build up to the 54th anniversary of the declaration of Biafra as a sovereign state on May 29, 1967. The tension was escalated by the presence of the Nigerian Army which officers are treating citizens in the southeast states with iron hands.
The tension is also a function of the Biafra agitators strong propaganda which make many citizens from Igbo land have the fear that war may breakout for the separation of Biafra during the anniversary on Monday.
The Nigerian Army were deployed to the states of the southeast to forestall the enforcement of the stay-at-home order issued by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. Majority Igbos are willing to comply with the stay-at-home order in deference to the Biafra phenomenon. The soldiers, National Daily gathered, are deployed to the southeast to prevent harassment or attack on anyone who may decide to disobey the order.
However, the soldiers were gathered to have diverted attention to extra-judicial conducts.
A victim narrated to National Daily that people’s and vehicular movement in the southeast are being obstructed by the Army who set up check points at different locations; in some instances, order people out of the vehicle, compel them to raise their hands.
The Biafra agitators propaganda has been strong that most Igbo people have developed fear that war may broke out; thus, calling on their relations resident in the southeast to return home. Even most families in the southwest who have relations doing business or working in the southeast, are also calling on their relations to return home.
Most Igbo traders were said to start locking up their shops from Sunday. The Igbo traders located in several places from Ore in Ondo State to some markets in Benin City, Edo State, including Asaba in Delta State, were said to have started shutting down from Saturday for fear of attack.
While the Arny have been deployed to the various states of the southeast, unknown gunmen killed a notable member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Gulak, in the early hours of Sunday in Imo State. This also raised fresh fear of reprisal killings by the Army.