BAN ON SIT-AT-HOME IN ENUGU: Governor Peter Mbah’s Pinnacle Oil Closed For Business On Monday.

Peter Mbah.

Pinnacle Oil and Gas belonging to the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, was among businesses that failed to open in the state on Monday, in compliance with the "sit-at-home" order by a faction of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

Governor Mbah, whose company owns about three petrol stations in Enugu, had shortly after his assumption of office on May 29, 2023, banned the illegal sit-at-home order, a development that has been blamed for the orgy or kidnapping and other forms of criminal activities that has pervaded the state in the past two months.

The refusal of Mbah’s Pinnacle Oil petrol stations to open for business on Monday is happening just one week after the governor supervised the sealing off of over 100 shops at Ogbete Main Market and other businesses in Enugu metropolis for shutting their doors on Monday.

The traders and other Enugu residents protested against the state government's action on Wednesday, leading to the murder of three protesters by security agents trying to disperse the protesters on government orders.

One of those shot dead was a young man, Bonaventure Nwodo from Iheaka in Igbo-Eze South LGA, who was said to have recently returned from Dubai, and had just opened a new business at the Ogbete Market.

Enugu residents who got wind of Pinnacle Oil's observance of "sit-at-home" have condemned Mbah's hypocrisy and double standard.

"Why wouldn't Pinnacle filling stations be sealed off today?" Jeffrey Ejemba said. " This boy Mbah is not a leader at all. So”, he makes one law for himself and another law for other Enugu residents?"

The front of Pinnacle Filling Station today.

"Sit at home" has been observed in the South-East of Nigeria, for two years now, as a protest against the incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu. Kanu is still illegally held by the DSS even after a court has discharged and acquitted him. IPOB cancelled the order after a few weeks in 2021. But a faction led by Simon Ekpa, who resides in Finland, has refused to call it off.

A few days ago, Ekpa, his continued defiance of the proclamation by Kanu to stop the sit-at-home, dismissed a handwritten letter by Kanu, describing it as forgery, and swore that "sit at home" won't end in the South-East.

"The governor has not achieved anything in the 60 days he has been in power. Refuse dumps are not cleared. He has not started any project. All he has done to divert attention is order to deflect from his lack of achievement," Martha Ozioko, another Enugu resident, stated.

Insecurity has worsened in the state since Mbah was sworn in. Kidnapping for ransom is witnessed every day in parts of the state. Despite the numerous checkpoints mounted by the police and army on the Opi--Ugwogo-Nike road, for instance, kidnappers have operated freely on that axis.

Despite assurances from government of their safety, most Enugu residents who spoke to Enugu Monitor, admitted that they observe "sit at home" only as a safety measure. They fear that these non-state actors might attack them, since government has failed to provide security for them. "Assurances are not enough," said Ken Nwagbo. "When Peter Mbah was sealing off shops, he went with hundreds of security operatives. Why couldn't he go alone? Now, even his own Pinnacle Oil can't attend to customers on Monday, but he wants us to open our shops and brave death."