Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
The federal government has been urged to set up a special intervention fund to help in the treatment and rehabilitation of innocent victims of the sit-at-home order.
A spokesman of the family of a victim of sit-at-home, Mr. Steve Oko made the call in a statement marking the anniversary of the vicious attack on Henry Oko by enforcers of sit-at-home.
The sit-at-home protest was initially adopted by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a tool to drive home its quest for Biafran self-determination.
Though IPOB has since abandoned the sit-at-home protest, faction of the separatist group led by Finland-based Simon Ekpa has continued to order and enforce sit-at-home.
Oko was on December 14, 2022 shot by sit-at-home enforcers at Nwakpu Market in Ikwo Local Government of Ebonyi State. His thigh was shattered by bullets and 12 months after, he is still in critical condition battling for his life at the hospital.
“Our family is financially exhausted because enormous resources have been sunk into efforts to save my brother’s life,” he lamented.
“He spent over four months at the National Orthopedic Hospital Enugu before he was referred to another tertiary hospital where he is currently being managed”.
The spokesman of the Oko family noted that innocent victims of the sit-at-home protest abound in all states of the South East zone hence the need for federal intervention.
He said that such intervention would enable the victims recover and rebuild their lives, adding that some of them have been incapacitated for life.
“Time has come for the federal government to intervene and show empathy just as it did to victims of Boko Haram when it established North East Development Commission. Similar Commission or Special Intervention Fund is urgently needed for victims of sit-at-home in South East,” he pleaded.
Steve stated that a number of victims of sit-at-home, who were lucky to escape were left with life-threatening injuries, with no help coming from either the federal or state governments in the affected zone.
