Shops, markets closes in Nnewi, Onitsha
Maduako Igbokwe l Monday, July 26, 2021
ONITSHA, Anambra, Nigeria – Passengers In Anambra State are stranded at various parks on Monday as members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB allegedly blocked movement of vehicles in and out of major cities in Anambra .
As early 6am , both entry and exit points in the commercial city of Onitsha and the industrial town of Nnewi, were blocked, forcing residents and visitors to stay at home in honour of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is being arraigned in Abuja today.
Passengers in Awka, Anambra State capital were seen stranded at various parks, while shops and markets in Nnewi and Onitsha were shut down in solidarity with Nnamdi kanu.
A sources in Onitsha said youths suspected to be members of IPOB made bonfire in most streets in Onitsha, while also forcing vehicles entering the city to turn back.
At Nnewi, the youths also made bornfire with tyres and other areas, forcing people to close their shops and markets
Nnamdi Kanu was expected in court today (Monday) morning for commencement of trial on his case, after he left the country in 2017. Kanu was arrested in Kenya in June through the aid of Interpol and extradited to Nigeria to face trial.
Video circulating on the social media showed that shops, markets and offices were locked in Onitsha, while streets are deserted.
We gathered that youths suspected to be IPOB members were smashing cars belonging motorists who attempted to enter the city.
A source who trades in Onitsha Main Market, Mr Michael Eze said, “We heard it yesterday as a rumour that there will not be market today, but this morning we found out that people were making bonfire everywhere in the city. Nobody has spoken to us about what is happening, but we learnt that it is IPOB that is trying for force people to stay at home in solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu who is appearing in court today”
In Awka, the capital city of Anambra State, our reporter who moved round found that commercial activities were going on without hitches, but there were no vehicles to convey those moving out of the city.
One of the Onitsha bound passengers in Awka Mr. Uche Nweke said that he had important assignment in Onitsha but cannot go again because roads are blocked by the IPOB members.
“I came out here this morning to go to Onitsha for an important assignment only to discover that no vehicle is going Onitsha. Drivers said they are not working because they want to support Nnamdi kanu” he said.
