Once again, residents in Abia state have boycotted the third day of the #EndBadGovernance protest which also coincides with the weekend as markets, fuel stations, parks and other public places open for usual business.
Individuals and groups in Abia distanced themselves from the protest as no one was seen chanting solidarity songs or displaying placards along major streets.
Markets, parks and few structures opened for business activities unlike the first day that recorded more deserted streets. No incident of violence was recorded as at the time of this report both in the two major cities of Aba and Umuahia, the state capital.
Aba, the commercial hub of Abia state experienced serenity today while
Umuahia, the capital city remained calm. Security agents were seen patrolling the state capital. There was free human and vehicle movement as residents went about their normal activities
The Governor of the state, Dr. Alex Otti had said in a state broadcast on Wednesday, July 31, that residents have the right to protest against bad governance but also said that the state has no need to participate in the protest, expressing fears that some criminal-minded individuals might hijack the protest to cause mayhem in the state.
Before the protest kicked-off on Thursday, security agencies in the state including the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Army, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had assured the people of the state that the safety of protesters and non-protesters would be their ultimate priority.
In Aba, some residents who spoke to our reporter on why they refused to participate in the protest, mentioned being tagged as IPOB members by soldiers who might kill them.
Another resident said Igbos have refused to participate in the protest because antecedents have taught them some lessons.
A youth, simply identified Emeka said “Nobody wants to die for what he or she knows nothing about. Igbos have been marginalized and they don’t care about us. All we want is for the Federal Government to obey the court judgment that released Nnamdi Kanu".
It is obvious the people of the South-East are not so concerned about the protest as they are more perturbed that security agencies might tag it as an IPOB activity.
