Violence Undercuts Soludo’s Defiance Of Sit-At-Home In Anambra
Gunfire Greets Defiance of Sit-at-Home Order
RESIDENTS of parts of Anambra State woke up to fear and uncertainty on Monday as gunmen enforcing the sit-at-home order unleashed sporadic gunfire in defiance of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s directive urging citizens to go about their lawful activities.
The violence was most pronounced in Nkpor, a key suburb on the outskirts of Onitsha, where residents reported hearing sustained gunshots in the early hours of the morning. The incident occurred despite repeated assurances by the state government that adequate security measures were in place to protect residents and businesses reopening after months of economic paralysis.
Early Morning Shooting in Nkpor
Eyewitnesses said the gunshots began around 4 a.m., sending residents scrambling for safety. A local source confirmed that several people were feared injured, although official confirmation was still pending as of Monday afternoon.
“There were gunshots from around 4 o’clock this morning,” the source said. “People were running for cover. We heard that some persons were hit, but no authority has confirmed the casualty figures yet.”
Videos circulating on social media appeared to corroborate the accounts. One clip showed a man dressed in a suit with a gunshot wound to the face, while another showed a Mitsubishi commercial bus riddled with bullet holes.
Trader Narrates Narrow Escape
In one of the videos, a man who identified himself as the owner of the damaged bus lamented that he had decided to obey Governor Soludo’s directive to reopen his shop after the one-week closure of Onitsha Main Market.
“See what has happened now,” he said in Igbo language. “Thank God that myself and my two boys escaped death.”
The footage has intensified public anxiety, reinforcing fears that defying the sit-at-home order still carries grave risks despite official assurances.
Markets Reopen, but Fear Persists
While traders returned to Onitsha Main Market following its reopening, business activities remained subdued. Major roads across the commercial city were largely deserted, with few customers seen patronising shops.
In some markets, traders reportedly passed time playing football, waiting for the situation to stabilise before fully resuming business. The visible lack of patronage highlighted the lingering fear among residents, many of whom chose to stay indoors despite the reopening.
Confusion Within IPOB Leadership
The violence unfolded amid confusion over the authenticity of the sit-at-home directive. Emma Powerful, who claims to be the spokesperson of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), had earlier announced that the sit-at-home would hold across the South-East in response to Soludo’s stance.
However, IPOB’s lead counsel, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, publicly disowned the directive, describing it as fake and urging residents to ignore it. The confusion deepened when IPOB’s Directorate of State (DOS) issued a statement abolishing the use of the name “Emma Powerful,” describing it as a pseudonym no longer authorised to speak for the group.
Emma Powerful, in a counter-statement, rejected the DOS declaration, insisting that only IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, currently detained in Sokoto, had the authority to make such decisions.
Renewed Questions Over Security and Enforcement
The gunfire has renewed concerns about the capacity of the state to guarantee public safety as efforts continue to dismantle the sit-at-home culture. Analysts warn that unless conflicting narratives are decisively addressed and perpetrators held accountable, fear will continue to undermine economic recovery and public confidence.
