Due to the danger of violence by IPOB enforcers who were enforcing the one-week sit-at-home order in Imo state, the schools in that state were unable to open for regular lessons on Monday.
About two years ago, Owerri citizens ceased adhering to the IPOB sit-at-home directive.
According to information acquired in Owerri from various places, the Simon Ekpa-led IPOB ordered the closure of schools.
Schools in Egbu, Wethedral, the World Bank, the Owerri-Onitsha and Owerri-Port Harcourt routes, among other locations, were among those that were impacted by the IPOB sit-at-home action.
An owner of a school, along Owerri-Aba road, was of the view that, “I think we have do away with this sit-at-home of a thing. How come it is coming back again, I got information that this sit-at-home is not from original IPOB people. These people doing this should know that they are destroying Igboland. You can’t bring war to your own fathers land. By doing this, our education sector is suffering.”
Another school owner on the MCC/Uratta road, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed that the schools closed as a result of a letter purportedly written to them by IPOB, in which it was stated that "schools in Owerri have refused to obey the IPOB sit-at-home, and failure to observe it will result to severe punishment on defaults."
“As a result of this, some of us communicated with other school proprietors and we agreed to stop our students from going to school on Mondays for now. Until security assures us of protection. We don’t want attacks simple. For over a year now, I think up to two years we have been opening for school activities. It's like this threat I think is serious.”
Other sectors, though, including those operating outside of Owerri, some of the state's biggest markets, and financial institutions were also affected.
