In anticipation of the Biafra Heroes Day marked by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) across the South-East, security measures have intensified, and panic buying has ensued.
The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Itam, deployed policemen to schools in the state as a precautionary step.
Meanwhile, the Enugu State government rejected IPOB’s sit-at-home order for the day, ensuring heightened security to thwart any disruptions.
Beyond Boders recalls that IPOB, through its spokesman, Emma Powerful, had urged the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to postpone the scheduled exams.
They also advised the Nnamdi Azikiwe University to reschedule its convocation, both events coinciding with Biafra Heroes Day.
As a result, markets and schools in Anambra witnessed heavy security presence, with residents rushing to make last-minute purchases to avoid being stranded.
Students appearing for exams sought nearby accommodations, anticipating restricted movements.
Customers thronged banks and ATMs to withdraw cash for essential purchases, intensifying the pre-Biafra Heroes Day rush.
Grace Acho, a resident, voiced her concerns, emphasizing the importance of security around exam venues, given WAEC’s unlikelihood to reschedule.
The Anambra State Police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the deployment of security operatives to safeguard schools and markets, aiming to prevent any attempts to enforce the sit-at-home order illegally.
Efforts to reach the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, for comments proved futile.
IPOB’s Emma Powerful reiterated the sit-at-home order, asserting the sanctity of honoring fallen heroes.
However, the Enugu State Government opposed the directive, emphasizing the importance of education and condemning any disruption to the ongoing exams.
The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aka Eze Aka, criticized IPOB’s call for exam postponement, highlighting its detrimental impact on education and the region’s socio-economic development.
Aka urged students to attend exams without fear and warned against any attempts to disrupt the process, emphasizing the consequences of such actions.
Moreover, he emphasized the resilience of the Igbo people, stating: “any pronouncement or action that tends to deny our children their rights to education, which is their ticket to the future, is offensive to our sensibilities and surely the sensibilities of our founding fathers and fallen heroes, who must be turning in their graves, wondering what could have happened to us as a people.”
Furthermore, the government cautioned civil servants and political appointees against absenteeism, threatening summary dismissal for non-compliance.
