President Muhammadu Buhari is currently on a two-day visit to Ebonyi State, South-east Nigeria.
The gunmen terrorising Nigeria's South-east have declared a two-day lockdown across the region to protest President Muhammadu Buhari's visit to Ebonyi State.
The terror group made the declaration when they visited the Ariaria International Market, Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, on Wednesday.
They also reportedly made the announcement in other states in the region.
The group was said to have asked residents of the region to stay indoors between Thursday and Friday (Today).
The declaration came less than 24 hours to the scheduled two-day visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Ebonyi State to commission multiple projects executed by Governor Dave Umahi's administration.
Mr Umahi had said the president's visit would last between Thursday, May 5 and Friday, May 6, for the commissioning of the projects.
How residents hailed, cheered the gunmen
A video clip of the gunmen at the market has gone viral on various social media platforms.
In the 30-second clip, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the gunmen, numbering about 50, lined up in a section of the market, while one of them addressed congregated traders.
This newspaper could not hear what the gunmen said as the audio quality of the clip was poor.
But, a shop owner, in the market, Ifeanyi Chukwu, told PREMIUM TIMES that the gunmen said the order was declared to ensure that residents do not welcome Mr Buahri.
Wielding heavy rifles and wearing masks on their faces, the gunmen shortly departed the market in a procession-like style. Most of them were clad in black attire
Some traders were heard hailing and clapping for the gunmen while they moved out of the market.
"Odogwu, Odogwu," a voice was heard in the video apparently hailing the gunmen.
The word, "Odogwu" is an Igbo expression for the great one or a great people.
"Unknown gunmen!" another voice was heard from the crowd hailing the terror group.
"Power, power," another voice from the crowd said.
Many residents defy order on first day
Despite the declaration of the lockdown by the group, the majority of the residents of South-east ignored the order on Thursday.
Economic activities went on unhindered. Markets, filling stations and banks opened for business in various parts of the region.
Some residents in the region who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES confirmed that roads were busy with both human and vehicular traffic.
The sit-at-home order was, however, obeyed on Thursday in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State.
Ariaria International Market, where the gunmen visited, did not open for business.
"We did not open yesterday (Thursday). We are not sure of today," a shop owner in the market, who asked not to be mentioned, said Friday morning.
"In fact, the whole of Aba was shut down yesterday," he said, wondering why traders in the area were made to suffer because of the president's visit to another state.
The gunmen, believed to be part of Biafra agitation, had released a video where they threatened to disrupt the 2023 general elections in the South-east.
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They are suspected to be the gunmen enforcing the suspended sit-at-home order in Nigeria's South-east.
Insecurity has deteriorated in the region with attacks reported almost daily across the five states of the region. The states are Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo and Enugu.
The attacks often target security agencies and government facilities.
The Nigerian government had accused IPOB of being responsible for the attacks in the region. But the separatist group has repeatedly denied involvement in the attacks.
IPOB is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria.
The leader of the separatist group, Nnamdi Kanu, is currently being detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for alleged treason.
