The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has categorically disowned a two-day sit-at-home order that was called for in Nigeria’s south-east, amid rising tension in the region......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
The separatist group, which has long advocated for an independent Biafran state, clarified that it had no connection to the directive, which was meant to be observed on 21 and 22 October.
A viral video that emerged earlier in October, featuring an unidentified man urging residents to stay indoors, sparked confusion and alarm across the south-east.
The man claimed that Biafran soldiers would deploy armoured vehicles and hoist Biafran flags during the two days, and warned of potential violence between the fighters and the Nigerian military, suggesting that the sit-at-home was to prevent civilian casualties.
However, IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, dismissed the claims, telling
Premium Times
on Monday that the group had not issued any such directive. “
IPOB did not order the two-day sit-at-home, and we don’t want to create panic over orders from inconsequential fellows,” said Powerful. He further emphasised that IPOB had deliberately refrained from making any official statements about the video to avoid giving it unnecessary attention.
The sit-at-home order, IPOB suggested, was the work of individuals who had infiltrated the group, aiming to tarnish its reputation.
“Our people should ignore such obnoxious orders from criminals working for the government to tarnish the peaceful image of the IPOB movement,” Powerful added, urging the region’s residents to continue their daily activities without fear.
Meanwhile, Simon Ekpa, a controversial figure within the Biafran separatist movement and a self-proclaimed “Prime Minister” of the Biafra Government In-Exile, has also distanced himself from the recent sit-at-home call.
Ekpa, who has clashed with IPOB leadership over his more hardline stances, claimed the man in the video had acted without authorisation and had been reprimanded. On his social media platform, Ekpa reiterated that no sit-at-home was scheduled for Tuesday, 22 October, and maintained that such actions were only to be observed on Mondays.
This discord reflects deeper fractures within the separatist movement, especially following the detention of IPOB’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who has been held by Nigerian authorities since 2021 on terrorism-related charges. While IPOB originally initiated the sit-at-home order as a form of protest to pressure for Kanu’s release, the group officially suspended the order months later, except on days when Kanu appears in court.
Nevertheless, fear has continued to drive compliance with the Monday sit-at-home order in many parts of the south-east. The region’s residents often observe the directive, not out of loyalty to the separatist cause, but due to threats of violence from factions that have taken it upon themselves to enforce the order, which IPOB has denounced as unauthorised.
Regional leaders, including Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, have repeatedly attempted to end the sit-at-home practice, citing its damaging effects on the local economy and daily life. Despite their efforts, a climate of fear persists, with many businesses and schools continuing to shut down on Mondays.
The conflict surrounding the sit-at-home order highlights the complexity of the situation in the south-east, where a blend of separatist fervour, criminal opportunism, and government responses have created an environment of uncertainty. IPOB continues to face internal challenges from figures like Simon Ekpa, who has maintained his calls for civil disobedience, even after being suspended by the IPOB faction loyal to Kanu.
As the region grapples with ongoing instability, the future of both IPOB’s struggle and the tactics used to pursue it remain uncertain, with leadership fractures threatening to complicate their goals further.
