‘The poor are most affected’ — Gideon Okeke faults IPOB’s sit-at-home order

Gideons Okeke, the Nigerian actor, has condemned the sit-at-home directive by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the south-east. 

IPOB had on July 30 declared a sit-at-home in the south-east every Monday until Nnamdi Kanu, its leader, is released from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The proscribed group said the lockdown tagged ‘Ghost Monday’ will also affect schools and marketplaces.

The separatist group also recently threatened that it would lockdown the region for one month if the federal government fails to bring its leader to court on October 21

The directive has continued to elicit heated reactions, with many Nigerians sharing their different views on various social media platforms.

Reacting to the directive on Monday, Okeke said those agitating for Biafra should have adopted a “smart” approach to champion their cause.

The actor, who is on a visit to Enugu state, also lamented happenings in various regions across the country.

“It’s a different country everywhere in Nigerian, I am in the east, I’m in Enugu and there is really a sit-at-home going on, to what end sometimes we ask?” he said in a video on his Instagram page.

“What is this agitation that we cant work out smartly? You know we don’t need to carry guns and shouting… but this whole agitation we can do it smartly and intelligently. With sit-at-home, the poor man is suffering even the more.”

Governors in the southeast have earlier called on residents to disregard the sit-at-home directive.