The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the permanent cancellation of the Monday sit-at-home directive across Nigeria’s South-East, saying the order was issued directly by its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and takes effect immediately.
The announcement was made in a statement by IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, who said the decision ends the weekly shutdown that has disrupted economic and social activities in the region for nearly four years.
According to Powerful, Kanu directed that residents resume normal activities, stressing that there was “no need, excuse, or justification” for staying indoors on Mondays.
“The IPOB, under the supreme leadership of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, hereby announces to the entire world that the Monday sit-at-home across the South-East is officially and permanently cancelled,” the statement said.
“This directive comes directly from Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu himself, who has once again staked everything on the line to ensure that our children return to school every Monday and that our people go about their lawful businesses without fear, intimidation, or molestation.”
IPOB introduced the sit-at-home order following Kanu’s arrest and detention, as part of protests against what the group described as his extraordinary rendition to Nigeria. The directive often led to the closure of markets, schools, banks and offices, with widespread economic losses across the five South-East states.
Powerful warned that any person or group attempting to enforce the sit-at-home going forward would be acting contrary to Kanu’s explicit instructions.
“Kanu has made it abundantly clear that any person or group attempting to enforce sit-at-home from this moment forward is acting against his direct command,” he said.
The group also cautioned against alleged “false-flag operations” designed to instil fear and discourage people from resuming normal activities, urging residents to remain calm and law-abiding.
In addition, IPOB warned state governments against threatening or shutting down businesses under the guise of enforcement, insisting that any market renovation or reconstruction must involve the consent of traders and provide adequate alternative arrangements.
“We therefore call on all our people across the South-East to come out, open their shops, go to work, and send their children to school without fear. The era of Monday sit-at-home is over,” the statement added.
The cancellation comes amid growing concerns over the human and economic cost of the sit-at-home orders. An SBM Intelligence report linked the directives to hundreds of violent incidents across the South-East, including killings, arson, kidnappings and attacks on civilians who defied the order.
The report documented hundreds of violent incidents and fatalities over the four-year period, with Imo and Anambra states recording the highest numbers. It also estimated economic losses at about ₦7.6 trillion due to repeated market closures and disruptions to transport and trade.
The development follows recent actions by Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who last week ordered the reopening of the Onitsha Main Market in defiance of the sit-at-home order. The market had been shut for one week after traders failed to open on a Monday.
Addressing traders during the reopening, Soludo declared an end to Monday sit-at-home in the state and warned that any trader who continued to comply with the directive risked losing their shop.
He said traders who refused to open for business would face forfeiture of their premises, insisting that economic life must fully return to the state.
