Schools, Markets Resume as IPOB Ends Monday Sit-At-Home

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has officially ended its Monday sit-at-home order across the South-East, effective February 9, 2026. The announcement came on Sunday through IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful, who said the directive came directly from the group’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

The weekly sit-at-home had been in place since August 2021, originally instituted to protest Kanu’s rendition to Nigeria and subsequent imprisonment. The enforcement of the order frequently led to the closure of schools, markets, banks, and offices.

Powerful emphasized that there is “no need, excuse, or justification” for residents to stay indoors on Mondays, urging a full resumption of economic and social activities.

“The IPOB, under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu, hereby announces that the Monday sit-at-home across the South-East is permanently cancelled with effect from Monday, February 9, 2026,” the statement read. It warned that anyone attempting to enforce the order would be acting against Kanu’s direct command.

The spokesman also cautioned against “false-flag operations” designed to intimidate residents and discouraged state governments from shutting down businesses unnecessarily. Any renovation or reconstruction of markets should involve stakeholder consent and alternative arrangements for traders.

Analysts say the sit-at-home orders between 2021 and 2025 contributed to at least 776 violent incidents and the same number of deaths in the region, with Imo and Anambra states experiencing the highest toll. Economic losses during the period were estimated at roughly N7.6 trillion due to repeated market closures and transport disruptions.

Last week, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo took steps to enforce normal trading at the Onitsha Main Market, ordering its reopening after a week-long closure. Addressing traders, Soludo affirmed the end of Monday sit-at-home directives, warning that any trader complying with IPOB’s former order would risk losing their business premises.