The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the permanent cancellation of the Monday ‘sit-at-home’ across Nigeria’s South-East, with effect from 9 February 2026.
In a statement issued on Sunday, IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, said the instruction came directly from Kanu, who remains in detention.
IPOB introduced the weekly ‘sit-at-home’ in August 2021 as a protest against Kanu’s arrest, rendition to Nigeria, and continued incarceration. The action often resulted in the closure of markets, schools, banks, and government offices across the region, with significant economic consequences.
The announcement comes amid recent tensions in Anambra, where Governor Chukwuma Soludo ordered the temporary closure of the Onitsha Main Market after traders repeatedly stayed away from work on Mondays, citing fears associated with the sit-at-home directive.
Following consultations between the state government and market leaders, along with assurances of enhanced security, traders later reopened their shops and commercial activities resumed. The episode underscored the heavy economic toll the sit-at-home has imposed on the South-East.
On Monday, IPOB released a further statement through its spokesperson, acknowledging that some parts of the region remained under what it described as a ‘voluntary lockdown’. According to the group, some residents continued to observe Mondays in solidarity with their detained leader.
IPOB, however, stressed that the enforcement of the sit-at-home had been formally ended, maintaining that participation was now a matter of personal choice rather than organisational directive. The group said no individual would be harassed for either observing or disregarding the action, and expressed optimism that full economic activities would gradually return.
Reactions in Anambra State were mixed. While some residents welcomed the announcement and commended Governor Soludo’s position, others dismissed IPOB’s statement as an attempt to save face.
