The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared a sit-at-home order for Monday, February 2, 2026, across the South-East states, calling for a complete shutdown of economic activities in solidarity with traders affected by the recent closure of Onitsha Main Market.
In a statement released on Friday by IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful, the group described the action as a peaceful protest and a show of unity with Onitsha traders. The directive covers Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Imo states, urging traders, transporters, banks, schools, civil servants, and all sectors to stay home.
The announcement comes in direct response to Anambra State Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo's decision to shut down the Onitsha Main Market for one week. Soludo announced the closure earlier this week after visiting the market and finding many shops shuttered in observance of longstanding Monday sit-at-home practices linked to demands for the release of IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
IPOB sharply criticized Soludo, accusing him of engaging in "economic warfare" against the people of the region and collaborating with federal interests to undermine Igbo traders and the broader self-determination movement. The group condemned threats of further closures, land revocations, demolitions, and other sanctions if traders persist in honoring the sit-at-home, insisting such measures only escalate tensions rather than resolve them.
The statement emphasized that the sit-at-home remains a form of civil disobedience aimed at securing Kanu's freedom, rejecting characterizations of it as criminal or disruptive to the economy. IPOB called on residents to observe the day peacefully while maintaining their commitment to the cause.
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