How Sapele Women, Youths Defied Okowa’s Sit-At-Home Order

Emotions tipped over yesterday in Sapele, Delta State with residents trooping to the streets in protest over the extension of lockdown.

This followed a statewide broadcast by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa announcing that the lockdown had been extended by another two weeks.

It was just the trigger that an already prostrate citizenry needed to register their opposition to another two weeks of staying away from work and business.

Worse was that this one came with a curfew.

Began on April 1, for another two weeks and imposed a dusk to dawn curfew.

The protesters were majorly women and youths and by as early as 7am, they were already on the streets.

“We prefer to come outside and die than to be locked indoors” , was a major refrain from the protesters.

Below are some of the reactions by the protesters:

“We have stayed indoors for two weeks,

We can’t go to the market, we can’t go

anywhere, we are hungry, we will not accept this,”

-Madam Tina Akpometiro, Woman leader

“We are hungry and we don’t have food.

Let them allow us to go out and fend for

families. We want to go back to our normal lives.

“We are tired of sitting at home with nothing

to feed our families.”

“Though the steps are right, we are tired

of not being able to fend for our families

and want an end to the lockdown.”

–Tricycle rider

There is need for the government to immediately

release food items, because people are hungry

Dr. Vincent Ekariko, Sapele-Okpe Community leader

Government should help people. it is good

to check the virus, but people need to feed

Mr Aderopo Peters, a doctor

The Sapele council chairman, Eugene Inoaghan, who tried to pacify the crowd with loads of security men was openly rebuffed, with the crowd chanting, “We want freedom, we want freedom.”

However, there was pandemonium when the chairman left, with the crowd openly confronting security men with stones, an action that led to burning of tyres and wood.