CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Introduction
Following the failed effort at Biafra independence in 1967–1970, Nigeria has faced ongoing secessionist agitation and struggles as a sovereign nation.1Thereafter, it is appropriate to talk about the 1967–1970 civil war, since it gave rise to the Biafra Indigenous people. The Nigerian civil war drawn international attention over fifty years ago. From July6,1967, to January15,1970, there was a civil war in Biafra, the breakaway area in southeast Nigeria. Once Sub-Saharan Africa gained freedom, it was the first and bloodiest contemporary civil war in the region. Massive humanitarian crisis: between one and three million people perished, primarily from famine. Economic imbalance, educational disparity, and ethnic competitiveness are the long-standing regional stressors in Nigeria and the surrounding region being the most prominent again came to the force in a controversial census during 1962-1963.
Nigeria was divided into the Mid-West and Western regions in 1963, with the aim of averting ethnic warfare. Nevertheless, the nation remained divided into three sizable geographical areas, the west dominated by the Yoruba people, the east by the Igbo people, and the north by the Hausa-Fulani people. These territories were effectively under the sovereignty of an ethnic group. As local elites defended their advantages, there were constant conflicts. The north was afraid that the southern elite was determined to seize control, while the south complained of northern dominance. The western governments had collapsed in 1962, and Nigeria was on the verge of collapse due to a boycott of the December 1964 federal election. After the rigged election in October 1965 caused chaos in the west, a group of army officers attempted to topple the federal government and killed Balewa and two regional premiers, marking the point beyond which there could be no turning back. This attempt occurred in January 1966. Under Maj. Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, a military government was established; nevertheless, anti-Igbo riots in the north occured as he attempted to impose a unitary government upon the regions. Due to the army’s internal divisions, power struggles among its officers, and accusations that the January coup’s organisers and leaders supported Igbo dominance, the political climate deteriorated as a result of the military entry. As a countercoup was being planned in July 1966, northern officers killed Aguiyi-Ironsi and the then Lieut. Col. Yakubu Gowon came to power in 1970 bringing an end to the Nigeria Civil War.
The actions of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other somewhat covert and evil individuals and organisations that seem to terrorise people in various life-threatening ways further intensify the anarchic atmosphere of the Southeast. The Southeast has become a shadow of its former self due to ongoing attacks, counterattacks, retaliation games, and crossfires by the well-known “unknown gunmen,” who frequently wear black, various government law enforcement agencies, the Eastern Security Network, and the Ebubeagu security outfit formed by Southeast states government. IPOB is thought to have implemented the sit-at-home order,2which was the first announcement on September 23, 2020, in protest of the first October outing, which was perceived as a day of significant for IPOB, the first October, outing was meant to cerebrate Nigeria’s independence day.
For IPOB and many of its sympathisers, however, the day represented the Ibo people’s operation and Nigerian colonisation. One interpretation of the sit-at-home directive was to demonstrate IPOB’s disapproval of the current administration and its refusal to acknowledge Nigeria’s independence day.
The sit-at-home order was largely effective on 23rd September, 2020 with many business and public services closing in response to the order. However, it is pertinent to know that the order was not fully enforced until 23rd October, 2021. Concept of the sit-at-home order? Sit at home order is a strategy adopted by non-state actors to press for the releasing of their president arrested by the Nigerian government. Sit-at-home order is an order of restriction given within a region and enforcing illegally by non-state actors to violently demand the release of their leader from the Nigerian government. The Indigenous people of Biafra first introduced the sit-at-home order in the South East to add pressure to their quest for the actualization of an independent nation of Biafra and to show that most people in the South East support their quest for freedom. It soon transformed into a tool for achieving other goals including raising of awareness for other Biafran related issues and of recent, it has become a tool to draw attention to the plight of the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.3Ugwe, reported that in August 2021, IPOB introduced the order to put pressure on the Nigeria government to release its leader, NnamdiKanu, who is standing trial before the Federal High court Abuja for treason and terrorism. He went further to observe that IPOB initially declared the holiday for Mondays but later extended it to every day. Mr. Kanu appears in court. Since then the Southeast has become a ghost region with all businesses short down on such days and every Monday as resident stay at home, mainly out of fear of attack as they have attacked people who flouts the order.4 It is then pertinent to ask if the people of Southeast especially Anambra state were happy about the sit-at-home order and whether the indigenous people of Biafra were legally right to put in such an order without even being the president.
My research will now further answer the question to know if they were happy with the sit-at-home order and how it affected them socially, economically, politically and how powerful this non state actor can give an order within a county that has functioning government and the citizens followed the order. In the months following the initial declaration, IPOB and other pro-Biafra groups continued to push for the order to be enforced, and many individuals and businesses voluntarily complied, until October 23, 2021 when the order was fully enforced, with a complete shutdown of all activities in Anambra state alongside Imo, Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi states. This development has crippled the social, economic and political activities in the Southeast especially Anambra state. It is known that this order was announced by the IPOB as a way of galvanizing support awareness and solidarity for the successionist agenda of the Igbos, who inhabit the South-Eastern part of Nigeria and also to put some pressure on the federal government to consider its political demands. IPOB in its agitations over perceived marginalization against the Igbos has sort of declared offense against the federal government and its agencies. This is what led to the present precarious situation in the Southeast, most parts of the zone, if not its entire area witness incessant attacks and killings as well as frequent crossfires between government security agencies and unknown gunmen that have continued to hamper the peace of various communities making innocent citizens to live in fear in recent times. In as much as this order is believed to have originated from political outcry and agitations. It seemingly appears to be inflicting severe social and economic pain on most southeasterners especially those engaged in mobile businesses who now fear to travel freely.
This raises the questions, it this a political sit-at-home or an economic sit-at-home and to what extent does the two Scenario hamper the growth and development of the Southeast and Nigeria economy as it were? Observably, the sit-at-home syndrome is a multi-dimensional crisis that obviously has different impacts on the people and activities.
The indigenous people of Biafra has used various forms of the sit-at-home order in Anambra state. The most common form has been complete shutdown of all economic and social activities including a ban on public transportation and the closing of businesses. However, IPOB has also used more targeted forms of the order, such as banding certain types of businesses or allowing only certain individuals to operate. For example, in some cases only market women were allowed to operate their businesses while men were ordered to stay at home. There are also four distinct stages that the sit – at –home order has gone through in Anambra state. The first stage, the order was announced in August 2020, and it was only applied to Mondays. This stage lasted until September 2020, when the order was extended to all days of the week. In the second stage, the order was strictly enforced with security forces going door-to-door to ensure compliance. This stage lasted until October 2020, when the order became more sporadic. The third stage began in November 2020 when the order became even more unpredictable. The fourth stage and current stage of the order which began in December 2020. The order has become even more unpredictable with no clear pattern to when it will be enforced. This has caused a great deal of uncertainty and insecurity for people living in Anambra state, as they never know when they might be subject to the order. Nevertheless, the order became fully enforced in October, 2021.
Aim and Objectives
The main aim of this study is to examine general wellbeing that is, the political, social and economic impact of the sit-at-home order in Anambra state, specifically, the study seeks to;
- To conduct a comprehensive review of historical events and factors leading to the implementation of sit-at-home order in Anambra state.
- To analyze the various methods used to enforce the sit-at-home order.
- To identify and evaluate the socio-economic, political effects faced by individuals or businesses during the sit-at-home order.