The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has formally announced the total cancellation of its weekly Monday sit-at-home directive, effective Monday, February 9, 2026. The group said the move was made on the direct orders of its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The announcement was made on Sunday by IPOB’s media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, in a press statement that was widely circulated among journalists. According to Powerful, the cancellation was not a tactical suspension but a permanent end to the once-rigid directive that, for years, brought markets, banks, schools and transportation to a standstill across the five South-East states, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, every Monday.
Powerful quoted Kanu as saying in the statement, “The IPOB, under the supreme leadership of 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, “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.”
Powerful insisted that the sit-at-home was no longer justified and urged residents to resume normal activities, saying, “There is now no need, excuse or justification for anyone to stay at home on Mondays. All markets, schools, offices, transport services and economic activities must resume fully and normally from tomorrow.”
The IPOB statement went further, warning that anyone who attempts to enforce or revive the sit-at-home order after the cancellation would be acting against Kanu’s direct order and against the interests of the people and the Biafran cause. According to the communique:
“Any individual or group attempting to enforce sit-at-home from this moment forward is acting against his direct command. Such persons are enemies of our people and the Biafran cause. They will be pursued to the ends of the earth and confronted until they are completely defeated.”
Powerful also addressed concerns about intimidation and “false-flag” actions by unidentified actors, saying some groups were allegedly trying to create fear and coerce compliance with the sit-at-home under the guise of IPOB’s authority.
IPOB first introduced the Monday sit-at-home in August 2021 to protest the rendition and incarceration of Kanu, who was detained in Nigeria after being brought back from Kenya. During the height of the campaign, activities across the South-East largely ceased every Monday, with widespread impacts on education, trade and daily life.
Though there have been periods when the group claimed to have suspended the order, including earlier leadership directives that shifted Mondays to “economic empowerment days” or other forms of protest, compliance in many areas remained strong, and the directive continued to shape life in the region.
If fully observed, the cancellation could have far-reaching effects on the South-East’s economy and society, where the weekly shutdowns had been linked to significant commercial losses and disruptions for traders, workers and students.
However, reactions from other stakeholders in the region, including state governments, security agencies and community leaders, have varied in past iterations of sit-at-home announcements, with some dismissing directives as illegitimate or urging citizens to ignore them.
