Pro-Biafra protests spread

 

 Agitators lock down Aba

 In what appeared the climax of a three-day protest, members of the pro-Biafra group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday locked down Aba, Abia State as hundreds of thousands of protesters forced markets to close and paralysed economic activities in the commercial city.

The group had, in defiance to the orders of Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase last Saturday, embarked on a peaceful protest and demanded the release of the detained leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. IPOB members seized the Saturday protest to announce that no market would open for business on Monday (yesterday).
True to their words, yesterday, over 100, 000 members of the IPOB, who were later joined by other Aba residents in solidarity to their cause, poured out on the streets of the city, overpowered security agents, who watched haplessly as they enforced the closure order of markets.
Major markets in Aba; Ariaria, Ahia Ohuru (New Market), Shopping Centre, Bakassi shoe Plaza, Ohabiam Motor Spare Parts including shops on major streets and financial institutions in Aba closed for business until the end of the protest as traders who came from other parts of the country and neigbouring ECOWAS regions were left stranded.
The protest, which was simultaneous in the four major axis of the city including the city centre, Osisioma, Alaoji and Ogbor Hill disrupted vehicular movement within major roads in the city.
Some of the protesters, who spoke to Daily Sun vowed to continue with the protest at the end of this week if the Federal Government fails to release their leader, who is currently in detention.
He said the protest was an attempt by the group to draw the attention of the global community to the detention of their leader.
At  the time of filing this report, the closed markets were yet to reopen.
However, the traffic condition was gradually returning to normal as residents were seen in clusters discussing the protest, which paralyzed economic activities in the city.
The residents appealed to the federal government to listen to the demand of the group even as they expressed fears that the situation could degenerate into chaos if it nothing was done.