The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group that is currently illegal, issued a seven-day ultimatum warning its members to stay inside for the duration of the unrest. The Ebonyi State Police Command has reported that no lives have been lost as a direct result of the unrest.

The order to remain indoors, which was given by a person named Simon Ekpa who is based in Finland, started on Saturday and was supposed to end on Friday of the following week.

The statement in issue was made by the Public Relations Officer for the Command, SP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, during an interview that took place on Tuesday in Abakaliki with NAN.

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Onovwakpoyeya asserted that the group was simply firing shots at specified locations in a haphazard manner in order to scare people away and ensure that they obeyed the command to remain inside the building.

“Yes, the group came and shot sporadically at the new market opposite Liberation Estate, and our tactical team responded quickly, which resulted in people clearing out of the area,” the witness said. “Our tactical team responded quickly, which resulted in people clearing out of the area.” There was not a single person who was harmed in any way. There were no reports of injuries coming from either the public who were present or the police officers who were there to maintain order. She continued by saying that the police had upped their patrols both inside the town as well as out in the countryside that surrounded it.

More updates coming soon…