- The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has permanently cancelled the Monday sit-at-home order across Nigeria’s South-East
- The decision, effective from February 9, 2026, marked the end of a protest that had disrupted schools, businesses and markets since August 2021
- Analysts noted that the move could restore economic activity in the region, which had suffered economic losses
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) announced the permanent cancellation of the Monday sit-at-home directive across Nigeria’s South-East region.
The decision followed a direct order from its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and took effect from Monday, February 9, 2026.
Source: Twitter
The announcement was made in a statement issued on Sunday, February 8, 2026, by IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, who stressed that the directive came directly from Kanu.
Background to IPOB’s sit-at-home protest
The sit-at-home order was first declared in August 2021 to protest Kanu’s rendition to Nigeria and subsequent incarceration. The weekly shutdown paralysed economic and social life, forcing markets, schools, banks and offices to close every Monday.
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According to a report by SBM Intelligence, enforcement of the directive between 2021 and 2025 was linked to at least 776 deaths and 332 violent incidents across the region. Imo and Anambra states recorded the highest toll. The report also estimated economic losses of about N7.6 trillion due to repeated market closures and disruptions to trade and transport.
IPOB’s directive from Nnamdi Kanu
In the statement, Powerful declared:
“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 with effect from tomorrow, Monday, February 9, 2026.”
He added that there was “no need, excuse, or justification” for residents to remain indoors on Mondays, insisting that schools and businesses must resume fully.
The group warned that any attempt to enforce the sit-at-home order would be against Kanu’s direct command. Powerful also cautioned against “false-flag operations” designed to instil fear and discourage compliance with the new directive.
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IPOB warns state governments
IPOB further warned state governments against threatening or shutting down businesses. It insisted that any renovation or reconstruction of markets must be carried out with the consent of stakeholders and with adequate alternative trading arrangements.
The statement urged residents to return to normal life:
“We therefore call on all our people across the South-East to come out tomorrow, open their shops, go to work, and send their children to school without fear. The era of Monday sit-at-home is over.”
Sit-at-home: Anambra governor’s intervention
The announcement came days after Anambra state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, ordered the reopening of Onitsha Main Market on Monday, February 2, 2026. The governor had earlier shut the market on January 26, 2025, after traders failed to open.
Soludo declared an end to the sit-at-home order during his visit to the market, warning that traders who continued to comply with IPOB’s directive risked losing their business premises.
Observers noted that the cancellation marked a significant turning point for the South-East, where years of enforced shutdowns had crippled commerce and education. With Kanu’s directive now in place, residents were expected to resume normal activities without fear of intimidation.
Source: Getty Images
IPOB sit-at-home: Nigerian army assures Onitsha traders
Legit.ng earlier reported that the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army assured traders in Onitsha Main Market, Anambra state, and other economic centres across the South-east of their safety.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, in Enugu, the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, said that traders and law-abiding citizens would be protected with every necessary measure.
He explained that security forces remained fully deployed and on alert, while intelligence-led operations were ongoing to dismantle the remnants of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng