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KanuSitAtHomeEnd2026 as IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu directs permanent cancellation of Monday sit-at-home across South-East, urging full resumption of business and school activities.
The outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced that its convicted leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has ordered the total cancellation of the Monday sit-at-home directive across Nigeria’s South-East region.
The announcement was made in a statement issued on Sunday by IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, who said the directive takes effect from Monday, 9 February 2026.
“No More Sit-at-Home”
Powerful emphasized that the sit-at-home order has been officially and permanently cancelled, urging residents to resume normal activities.
He warned that any individual or group attempting to enforce the sit-at-home henceforth would be acting against Kanu’s directive and would be treated as enemies of the Biafran cause.
Reaction to Governor Soludo’s Market Closure
Powerful also addressed the recent closure of Onitsha Main Market by Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, following traders’ noncompliance with the sit-at-home directive.
He argued that no governor has the right to threaten or demolish shops of traders who voluntarily chose to stay home, insisting that forced compliance or intimidation would be resisted.
He added that any market renovation or reconstruction must be carried out with the consent of all stakeholders, and temporary trading sites must be provided before such projects begin.
Ekpa-Led Group Also Ends Sit-at-Home
The announcement by IPOB came a day after the Simon Ekpa-led Biafra Liberation Army also declared an end to the illegal sit-at-home directive in the region.
In a video circulating on Facebook, a notorious commander known as Angel De Makeup announced the cancellation, claiming it followed a directive from Nnamdi Kanu.
Flanked by armed men in security uniforms and standing beside an IPOB flag bearing Kanu’s image, he said the sit-at-home would no longer be enforced and that participation would now be voluntary.
Background of the Sit-at-Home Directive
The sit-at-home order began in August 2021, imposed by IPOB to pressure the Nigerian government to release Nnamdi Kanu, who was then facing terrorism charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Although IPOB suspended the directive later that year, residents in Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, and Anambra States continued to observe it out of fear, as armed groups linked to Simon Ekpa violently enforced compliance.
The enforcement led to numerous killings, destruction of property, and economic losses across the region.
Kanu has repeatedly distanced IPOB from the violence, insisting that those enforcing the order were criminals exploiting the group’s name.
This latest directive marks the first time both IPOB and the Ekpa-led faction have simultaneously declared an end to the sit-at-home, signaling a potential turning point for peace and economic recovery in the South-East.
