The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the permanent cancellation of the Monday sit-at-home across Nigeria’s South-East, stating that the directive came directly from its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, not from Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
The group’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, declaring that the weekly lockdown would cease with effect from Monday, February 9, 2026.
IPOB said the original sit-at-home order, introduced in August 2021 to protest Kanu’s rendition to Nigeria and subsequent detention, had achieved its purpose but was now being lifted to allow residents resume normal life and economic activities.
“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,” the statement read.
Powerful stressed that the decision was taken by Kanu himself to ensure that children return to school and citizens carry on with their lawful businesses without fear.
“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,” he said.
The group warned that any individual or group attempting to enforce sit-at-home henceforth would be acting contrary to Kanu’s explicit order.
“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,” the statement added.
IPOB also cautioned against what it described as “false-flag operations” aimed at instilling fear among residents, urging people to remain calm, law-abiding and to fully resume economic and social activities.
“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 group said.
The sit-at-home order, which lasted several years, significantly disrupted daily life and economic activity across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states. Businesses, schools, banks and transportation were frequently shut, while enforcement was often marked by intimidation, arson, kidnappings and violent attacks on defaulters.
According to a report by SBM Intelligence, the enforcement of sit-at-home between 2021 and 2025 was linked to hundreds of violent incidents and fatalities, with Imo and Anambra states recording the highest impact. The prolonged disruption also reportedly caused trillions of naira in economic losses due to repeated market closures and restrictions on trade and movement.
IPOB’s latest declaration comes amid recent efforts by South-East authorities to restore normalcy. Last week, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, ordered the reopening of the Onitsha Main Market on a Monday, warning traders against complying with sit-at-home directives and threatening sanctions for defiance.
The market, which had been repeatedly affected by the weekly lockdown, resumed activities following government intervention, marking a gradual return to normal economic operations in parts of the region.