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Sit-At-Home Order: IPOB, Police Set For Showdown

Therefore, the battle line is drawn between the security agencies and the proscribed group….
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the police are on the verge of a showdown over the sit-at-home order issued by the leader of the proscribed group, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to mark the anniversary of the Biafra Republic Remembrance Day.
The celebration, which holds on May 30 every year and was supposed to be held today, was shifted to Monday, May 31, to avoid any conflict with the Christian worshippers and to prove that the directive of the embattled leader of the group is obeyed.
The South-East and South-South police had assured the people of the security of lives and property but warned that whoever breached relative peace, law and order in the wake of the audacious order should first write his or her will.
Therefore, the battle line is drawn between the security agencies and the proscribed group.
Checks by Daily Trust at the weekend indicated that there is palpable tension and anxiety among residents in some parts of the affected states, such as Anambra, Abia, Imo, Ebonyi and Enugu, as well as Delta, Rivers and Akwa Ibom.
While the echoes of the dreadful order are already around in some states and taking a toll on their socio-economic activities as some residents heeded the directive at the weekend, normal businesses went on in other states as though nothing was in the offing.
Owerri residents obey sit-at-home order
Despite assurances of safety given to them by the Imo State Government, residents of Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Saturday, obeyed the order.
Consequently, economic and social activities in the city and its environs were grounded as shops, malls, supermarkets and markets remained closed. Roads were also empty as motorists and pedestrians stayed off the streets.
Some residents who dared to step out were stranded as many of them were unable to reach their destinations nor could find vehicles to go back home.
They also bemoaned the rampant arrests and detention of citizens by security agents, saying it is deterring them from pursuing legitimate means of livelihood.
Many of those who spoke to our correspondent at the weekend said though the sit-at-home order was to take effect on Monday, they decided to stay indoors because of rampant shooting and indiscriminate arrests by the police.
“People are afraid of being arrested for no just cause. Because of the situation at hand, everyone is tagged an IPOB or Eastern Security Network (ESN) member.
“An incident happened at Ogbo Oshishi Timber Market where a boy helping his mother to sell food was arrested, along with people eating in the makeshift restaurant.
“When the woman pleaded for her son, the policeman slapped her, a resident said.’’
Another resident of Naze, Ndukwe, lamented that some soldiers and Air Force personnel blocked the Aba-Owerri road, shooting sporadically.
Residents shun order in Ebonyi
Residents in Ebonyi State shunned the order on Saturday. Daily Trust gathered that markets, hotels, the Abakaliki Rice Mill, motor parks and shops opened for business. Taxi, keke and motorbike transporters also operated.
Army blocks Onitsha bridge to protest killing of soldiers
Military personnel on Saturday blocked the Onitsha bridge, following the killing of military men in Ihiala, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State by people suspected to be members of the IPOB.
Daily Trust gathered that early Saturday morning, about five military men were shot dead in Ihiala by gunmen suspected to be members of the IPOB.
When contacted, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, the police public relations officer, Anambra State Command, said the early morning gridlock at the bridge was as a result of stringent checks by security operatives.
Measure meant to track hoodlums.
Meanwhile, the sit-at-home directive was not effective in Awka, the state capital, as people were seen going about their normal businesses.
Residents went about their normal businesses without any molestation by anybody or group immediately after the state’s monthly sanitation exercise.
A resident, Mr Mike Uche, said he heard about the sit-at-home order, but nobody observed it on Saturday.
However, newspaper vendors in Awka and Anambra decried the stoppage of vehicles conveying newspapers from Lagos to the state at the Niger bridge.
Miss Nneka Okoye, a vendor at Aroma junction, Awka, said the situation hampered their business.
“We are surprised to face this kind of problem this morning. As you can see, there is no Saturday paper on display here now.
“The distributors told us that the vehicles carrying newspapers were stopped at the Onitsha bridge because of the issues the military had with people in Ihiala,” Okoye said.
Apart from vehicles carrying newspapers, others were also blocked from moving in and out of Onitsha in the early hours of Saturday.
We’re battle-ready – Rivers police
The Rivers State police command has advised residents of the state to ignore the sit-at-home order. It warned that the command was battle-ready to deal with any person or group of persons that want to break down law and order.
The command’s public relations officer, SP Nnmadi Omoni, in a press statement issued in Port Harcourt, noted that they were aware of the sit-at-home order.
Omoni added that the command viewed the statement as unlawful and had decided to allay the palpable fears occasioned by the phantom order.
He added that the commissioner of police in the state, CP Eboka, reassured the residents that adequate security measures had been put in place to ensure that they go about their lawful businesses unhindered, unmolested and in a conducive atmosphere.
No compliance in Enugu, Umuahia, Aba
From Idaw River to Uwani in Enugu South Local Government Area, to Coal Camp, New Market, to Edinburgh Road, Ogui Road, where Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium is located in Enugu North Local Government Area, to New Haven, Independence Layout, Garki and other places, people were seen moving about their normal businesses without fear. Traders opened shops in several markets.
“Ordinarily, a newcomer in Enugu may think that people not moving about in the early hours of Saturday indicated compliance, but in fact, residents of the town are simply complying with the monthly sanitation programme of the Enugu State Government.
“Therefore, there is nothing like sit-at-home order,” said Mr Ikenna Anichukwu, a teacher and resident of Obiagu Road.
Another resident, Mr Kenechi Amah, a taxi driver at New Haven and Garki, said that as far as Enugu State was concerned, nobody was interested in observing any sit-at-home order.
“I am a trader here at Ogbette Market. You can see that the market is full of activities. If you go to Kenyata, Abakpa, Timba, Garki and New Market, you would notice that trading activities are going on.
“Nobody is closing his shop in compliance with any sit-at-home order,” a trader at Ogbette Main Market, Fred Mbachu, said.
Also, normal commercial and social activities went on smoothly on Friday in Umuahia and Aba in Abia State.
Tricycle operators, business owners, timber market, commercial bus drivers, all the inter-state motor parks, were fully operational without obstruction.
However, the military started patrolling the streets of Umuahia and Aba as early as 6 am. No sign of the IPOB was noticed in the cities as of the time of this report.
Meanwhile, there are restrictions in human and vehicle movements as a result of the curfew imposed on the state by the government from 8 pm till 6 am as part of security measures adopted by the state government.
The Abia State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has called on citizens and residents in the state to ignore the order.
Recall that the group had issued a sit-at-home order between Saturday, May 29 and Tuesday, June 1, 2021.
The command, in a statement, urged the public to go about their normal businesses without any fear of harassment.
They assured members of the public that the Force, in collaboration with sister agencies, would guarantee the safety of lives and property of residents.
The command further advised parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to stay away from acts capable of causing a breach of security in the state.
News
I didn’t collapse, says Wike, warns death rumour mongers

I didn’t collapse, says Wike, warns death rumour mongers
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has debunked reports that he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital last week.
Wike described the reports of his rumoured collapse as the handiwork of “baseless” people trying to score cheap political points.
He spoke after inspecting four ongoing projects in the FCT, including the International Conference Centre.
Online posts circulating on X had surfaced alleging that the minister collapsed at an event on Friday in the FCT.
The rumour also claimed that Wike was immediately rushed to an undisclosed hospital, where he received treatment.
Reacting, Wike said, “There was no time I collapsed, there was no time anybody took me overseas. But you see me every day. The day Mr President broke iftar on his birthday, I was there.
“The next day, I led Abuja residents to pay Sallah homage. I see all those stories just died down. This is politics. We have thick skin. Those things don’t bother us. We are not distracted. We are focused on our jobs.
“So, I thank Nigerians for being worried, which should be, but people should not wish their fellow human beings such a thing to happen.
“We know that we will die one day. Nobody will remain in this world forever, but it is only God that says the day you will die, not any human being to say you will die today or you will die tomorrow.
“So, you have seen that I am even healthier than most of them who carried that rumour and I will write their condolence letters. I can assure you that I will write their condolence letters.”
News
World Bank approves Tinubu’s $632m loan request

World Bank approves Tinubu’s $632m loan request
The World Bank is poised to approve $632 million in new loans to Nigeria today (Monday), amid growing concerns over the country’s expanding debt profile.
The loans are intended to support important sectors such as nutrition enhancement and quality basic education.
According to data obtained from the World Bank’s website on Sunday, the two loans scheduled to be approved today are $80 million for the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria 2.0 initiative and $552 million for the HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All programme.
Both projects are now in the negotiating phase and are likely to gain final clearance later today.
These new loans are part of the World Bank’s overall strategy to support Nigeria’s development agenda, which focuses on healthcare, education, and community resilience.
The loans will support the government’s efforts to improve nutrition and education for Nigerian children.
Additionally, the World Bank approved a $500 million loan for Nigeria’s Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Programme on March 28, 2025, a significant step towards addressing the country’s economic challenges through expanded access.
The initiative, formally known as the NIGERIA: Community Action (for) Resilience and Economic Stimulus Programme, is intended to give critical support to households impacted by economic downturns while also strengthening community resilience.
The initiative focuses on vulnerable populations, providing assistance to households and small companies to help them cope with economic difficulties.
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The loan clearance is likely to considerably boost Nigeria’s efforts to revive the economy through grassroots backing, especially given current issues such as inflation and high living costs.
The stimulus plan will prioritise enhancing food security and developing economic possibilities for the populations most affected by recent economic changes.
This decision came after a delay in distributing funds for a previous loan aimed at poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Further investigation by The PUNCH revealed that the World Bank disbursed around $315 million to Nigeria from the $800 million allocated for the National Social Safety-net Program Scale Up.
Nigeria is yet to receive further funding from the World Bank for this loan project, which was approved in December 2021. The delay in grant release is most likely due to fraud detected under the initiative.
In honour of the 2023 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, President Bola Tinubu unveiled a social safety net programme that will distribute N25,000 to 15 million households over the course of three months.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation was responsible for managing the $800 million World Bank loan initiative.
However, due to allegations of embezzlement, the federal government was forced to stop the cash transfer program for further investigation and reform.
Betta Edu, a former humanitarian minister, was previously suspended for misappropriating N585 million set aside for palliative care distribution.
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Furthermore, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, Edu’s predecessor, was under investigation by the EFCC. The former minister is being investigated for allegedly laundering N37.1 billion during her stint as minister.
The World Bank also imposed sanctions on people and businesses discovered to be engaging in fraud under the initiatives.
According to the World Bank’s official website, this will bring Nigeria’s total approved loans to $9.25 billion over three years, indicating a growing reliance on multilateral funding to support critical sectors of the economy such as infrastructure, healthcare, education, and financial resilience.
A review of Nigeria’s World Bank loan approvals since 2023, under President Bola Tinubu’s government, reveals a huge rise in funding commitments.
In 2023, the World Bank approved $2.7 billion in loans for renewable energy, women’s empowerment, education, and the power sector. In 2024, funding approvals totalled $4.32 billion for various projects.
This increase was largely due to Nigeria’s growing need for financial assistance to stabilise the economy amid fiscal pressures and rising public debt.
Under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the World Bank granted around 11 different credit projects for Nigeria.
In less than two years, the federal government has acquired loans from the World Bank totalling $7.45 billion, raising concerns about the mounting debt burden. According to data from the Debt Management Office, the World Bank’s portion of Nigeria’s external debt is $17.32 billion as of the third quarter of 2024.
The International Development Association is owing the majority of this debt, which amounts to $16.84 billion, or 39.14 per cent of Nigeria’s total external debt.
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, another World Bank subsidiary, is owing $485.08 million, or 1.13 per cent.
While the planned World Bank loans may give much-needed budgetary relief, concerns persist about the country’s mounting debt burden.
According to recent data from the Central Bank of Nigeria, the country has spent $5.47 billion servicing external debt in the last 14 months, underscoring the strain on its foreign reserves.
World Bank approves Tinubu’s $632m loan request
News
Investigation of wanted businesswoman Achimugu not linked with Atiku, Sanwo-Olu – EFCC

Investigation of wanted businesswoman Achimugu not linked with Atiku, Sanwo-Olu – EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has reacted to media reports linking its investigations of Ms. Aisha Achimugu with political undercurrents involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu
This is contained in a statement by the commission on Friday night.
The statement read, “We wish to state unequivocally that the investigations of Achimugu have no correlation of any kind with the two political actors. She is being investigated for alleged criminal conspiracy and money laundering and has since been declared Wanted by the Commission”.
The EFCC started investigating Achimugu in 2022. Although she approached the court to obtain an injunction restraining the Commission from arresting, investigating, inviting or detaining her for any alleged criminal act, the injunction was challenged and vacated on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The court ruled that “…no court has the power to stop the investigative powers of the Police or EFCC or any agency established under our laws to investigate crimes when there is reasonable suspicion of commission of a crime or ample evidence of commission of an offence by a suspect.”
“The court further upheld the interim order of forfeiture of assets of Achimugu suspected to be proceeds of crime, dismissing her suit against it as lacking merit .
“The foregoing clearly establishes that the EFCC’s case against her has no immediate or remote nexus with any politician or any veiled or open reference to any political engagement or transaction.
“The EFCC is non-partisan and non-sectarian. We enjoin the public to continue to keep faith with the professionalism of the Commission without imputing any extraneous consideration to its works.”
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