Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has formally announced the permanent cancellation of the controversial Monday sit-at-home order across the South-East, effective Monday, February 9, 2026. The directive was issued while Kanu remains in custody at the Sokoto Correctional Centre and communicated through IPOB\u2019s spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful.<\/p>\n
In an official statement released on Sunday, IPOB declared that\u00a0all markets, schools, offices, transport services and economic activities must resume fully and normally\u00a0from Monday, adding that there is now \u201cno need, excuse or justification\u201d for anyone to stay at home on Mondays. The group described the new directive as the \u201cclear and unequivocal order\u201d of Nnamdi Kanu.<\/p>\n
The announcement marks a\u00a0significant reversal of the long-running weekly shutdown, which was first declared by IPOB in 2021 as a form of protest against Kanu\u2019s prolonged detention and perceived marginalisation of the Igbo in Nigeria. Over the years, the sit-at-home order saw schools, markets, banks and businesses close across the South-East, disrupting economic and educational activities.<\/p>\n
In addition to rescinding the sit-at-home order, IPOB\u00a0warned that individuals or groups still attempting to enforce or propagate the directive henceforth are acting against Kanu\u2019s command\u00a0and are considered enemies of the Biafran cause. The group vowed to pursue such perpetrators \u201cto the ends of the earth\u201d until they are apprehended, underscoring fears that some factions have been spreading fear and intimidation using the sit-at-home label.<\/p>\n
IPOB\u2019s statement also cautioned against\u00a0\u201cfalse-flag operations\u201d or intimidation tactics\u00a0allegedly designed to frighten residents into observing the now-defunct practice. Citizens were urged to remain vigilant, calm and law-abiding as normal routines resume.<\/p>\n
The development follows a noticeable shift in compliance during the\u00a0February 2, 2026 Monday, when\u00a0traders at the Onitsha Main Market opened for business\u00a0in line with directives from Anambra State Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and amid enforcement by state authorities.<\/p>\n
Governor Soludo had earlier closed the market for one week in response to ongoing non-compliance with government attempts to end the sit-at-home observance \u2014 a move that prompted protest and counter-statements from various groups.<\/p>\n
The official cancellation of the Monday shutdown could ease economic losses in the region and help restore confidence among traders, workers, students and commuters who have faced repeated disruptions over several years. However, some residents remain cautious, noting that splinter groups opposed to IPOB leadership have previously continued enforcement despite official policy reversals.<\/p>\n
As the region heads into what many hope will be a\u00a0return to normalcy from Monday onward, attention will be on how both grassroots supporters and detractors respond to the new directive \u2014 and whether the ban on sit-at-home observance is sustained without intimidation or reprisals.<\/p>\n
Among residents, reactions vary. Some see the end of the sit-at-home directive as\u00a0a hopeful step toward normal economic life, particularly for parents eager to send their children to school and professionals tired of weekly disruptions. Others remain skeptical, noting the practice evolved over time into a broader expression of regional grievance and identity, not just an IPOB command.<\/p>\n
In past years, the sit-at-home order was widely observed in parts of the South-East, leading to regular closure of businesses, schools and public services, and contributing to broader debates about diaspora activism, local compliance and security challenges.<\/p>\n
Government authorities and civic leaders have called for\u00a0peaceful compliance with the new directive, as communities prepare to transition out of weekly shutdowns. They urge citizens to focus on economic revitalisation while remaining vigilant against false claims or intimidation tactics.<\/p>\n
As the first Monday without the sit-at-home order approaches, traders, civil servants and families across the South-East are expected to resume routine activities \u2014 a development many hope will mark the start of\u00a0restored public confidence and regional economic growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has formally announced the permanent cancellation of the controversial Monday sit-at-home order across the South-East, effective Monday, February 9, 2026. The directive was issued while Kanu remains in custody at the Sokoto Correctional Centre and communicated through IPOB\u2019s spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful. In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":95897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,7],"tags":[328,470,2396,3466],"class_list":["post-97568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","category-news","tag-ipob","tag-kanu","tag-monday","tag-sit-at-home"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=97568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97568\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/95897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=97568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=97568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=97568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}