The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the immediate cancellation of the Monday sit-at-home across the south-east.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Emma Powerful, the group’s spokesperson, said the directive came from Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB’s detained leader, who urged residents to resume normal activities, reopen markets and send their children to school without fear.
Powerful explained that the decision was taken to restore normal life in the region, noting that there is “no longer any justification” for residents to remain indoors on Mondays.
“The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), under the supreme leadership of Onyendu Mazi 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,” the statement read.
The IPOB spokesperson warned that anyone attempting to enforce the sit-at-home going forward would be acting in direct violation of Kanu’s directive.
The Monday sit-at-home was introduced in 2021 as a protest against Kanu’s arrest and continued detention following his extradition from Kenya to Nigeria to face terrorism-related charges.
“There is now no need, excuse, or justification for anyone to stay at home on Mondays,” Powerful said.
Initially observed on selected days to coincide with Kanu’s court appearances, the action later became a weekly exercise, often enforced violently by armed groups.
Although IPOB later announced a suspension of the sit-at-home, compliance continued in many parts of the south-east due to fear, threats and attacks, leading to economic losses, school closures and repeated calls by state governments for residents to ignore the order.
In recent months, some south-east governors have taken steps to end the practice. Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo ordered the reopening of markets and schools on Mondays, warning that the state would no longer tolerate enforced shutdowns.
Soludo also directed that markets closed under the guise of sit-at-home be reopened and threatened sanctions against public servants, including teachers, who fail to report for duty, insisting there is no official sit-at-home policy in the state.
IPOB, however, accused state governments of intimidation, including market closures and threats of demolition, against traders and workers.
The group argued that governors have no right to forcefully shut markets or threaten citizens who choose to stay at home out of “personal conviction”.
Nevertheless, IPOB reiterated that Kanu has ordered a complete end to the Monday sit-at-home and urged residents of the south-east to go about their lawful activities without fear.
“The era of Monday sit-at-home is over,” the group said, calling on the public to remain law-abiding and vigilant.