IPOB Sit at home order: Panic buying in Imo

VAL OKARA, OWERRI.

Following the sit at home order issued by the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), residents of Owerri, the Imo state capital thronged to markets scrambling for food items.

Our correspondent who visited some markets at the state capital observed that intending buyers besieged the food stuff section of the markets .

The price of food stuffs including rice, beans, garri and other perishable food items have doubled .

A bag of rice which sold for N25,000.00 now sells for N35,000.00, a paint size of garri exchanged for N1,500.00 while supermarkets were not spared.

A cross section of people who spoke to Saturday Daily Times said that with the security situation in the state nobody should take the  threat by IPOB for granted. ”

Nowadays nobody  can identify the people responsible for the insecurity in Imo state. We are only hearing about unknown gunmen, it is an unfortunate situation. “

Another resident identified as Juliana Okafor said that she had withdraw her from school in order to ensure that her family were staying together until security is checked.

Meanwhile, the state government on Thursday called the people of the state to ignore the sit at home order by IPOB and go about their normal business unmolested.

The state commissioner for Information. Mr. Declan Emelumba who addressed a press conference disclosed that adequate security arrangements have been put in place to protect lives and property.