The ongoing Monday sit-at-home in Anambra State has escalated following recent gunmen attacks, leading private and mission schools to suspend classes indefinitely.
In a statement, the Catholic Education Council announced that schools in the region would no longer hold sessions on Mondays, citing safety concerns.
Students were advised to stay at home and return on Tuesday, November 26.
However, Senior Secondary School (SSS3) students will still attend school on Mondays and Saturdays for special lessons, though they will not be required to wear uniforms.
The council thanked parents and guardians who had made their payments on time and encouraged them to spread the information to others.
This decision follows warnings from unidentified individuals threatening to attack school buses and institutions that remain open on Mondays.
The heightened security concerns also affected local commerce, with traders in Awka’s main market closing their shops early after hearing rumors of gunmen targeting the area.
The Anambra Innovation Week, which kicked off on Monday, saw a notably low attendance as participants from across the state stayed home due to security fears.
Despite this, the Deputy Governor of Anambra, Dr. Onyekachi Ibezim, officially declared the event open, and full participation is expected to resume on Tuesday.
In a separate incident, gunmen attacked members of the Anambra State Vigilante Service on Amesi-Uga Road in Aguata Local Government Area. One vigilante was injured, and their vehicle was set on fire.
Police promptly responded, rescuing the injured officer and taking them to the hospital.
They also secured the area and intensified patrols in the region to prevent further violence.
Meanwhile, police officers from Okpoko Divisional Police Station responded to a fire outbreak at Chukwunonso Street, Okpoko, where they cordoned off the area to prevent looting.
Fire service personnel quickly controlled the blaze, and an investigation into its cause is currently underway.
