By Jon Paul
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the immediate and permanent cancellation of the Monday sit-at-home across the South-East, following sustained resistance by state governments, notably Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo.
In a statement issued on Sunday, IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, said the directive came directly from the group’s detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who called on residents to resume normal activities, reopen markets, return to work and send their children to school without fear.
According to the statement, the order takes effect from Monday, February 9, 2026.
“The Indigenous People of Biafra (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,” Powerful said.
He warned that any individual or group attempting to enforce a sit-at-home order going forward would be acting contrary to Kanu’s directive.
“There is now no need, excuse or justification for anyone to stay at home on Mondays,” the IPOB spokesperson added, stressing that the decision was taken to allow normal life and economic activities to fully resume across the region.
The Monday sit-at-home was first introduced in 2021 to protest Kanu’s arrest, extradition from Kenya and continued detention while facing terrorism-related charges. What began as a protest tied to specific court appearances later evolved into a weekly shutdown, often enforced through violence and intimidation by armed elements.
Although IPOB subsequently announced a suspension of the exercise, compliance persisted in many parts of the South-East amid fear, threats and sporadic attacks, leading to widespread economic disruption, prolonged school closures and repeated appeals by state governments for residents to defy the order.
In recent months, however, some South-East governors have taken a firmer stance against the practice. Governor Soludo ordered the reopening of markets and schools in Anambra State on Mondays, insisting that there was no official sit-at-home policy and warning that the government would no longer tolerate enforced shutdowns.
Soludo also threatened sanctions against public servants, including teachers, who failed to report for duty on Mondays, directing that salaries be deducted from erring workers.
IPOB had accused state governments of using intimidation, including market closures, threats of demolition and other punitive measures, against traders and workers, arguing that governors had no right to compel citizens who chose to stay at home out of personal conviction.
However, the group said Kanu has now ordered a total end to the Monday sit-at-home, urging residents of the South-East to go about their lawful businesses without fear or coercion.
“The era of Monday sit-at-home is over,” IPOB said, calling on the public to remain law-abiding and vigilant.