The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the immediate and permanent cancellation of the Monday sit-at-home directive across Nigeria’s South-East, following what it described as a direct order from its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the group said the decision takes effect from Monday, February 9, 2026, and marks the end of the weekly shutdowns that have disrupted economic and social activities in the region for years.
IPOB urged residents of the five South-East states to resume their normal routines, including going to work, opening businesses and sending children to school without fear.
“The era of Monday sit-at-home is over,” the group said, adding that markets, offices, transport services and other economic activities should operate fully from the stated date.
It warned that any individual or group attempting to enforce further sit-at-home orders would be acting against Kanu’s explicit directive.
The Monday shutdown was first introduced in 2021 as part of efforts to press for Kanu’s release and advance the group’s agitation. While initially observed voluntarily, it later became associated with coercion and sporadic enforcement, leading to widespread compliance across many communities.
The practice has drawn criticism from state governments, business owners and civil society groups, who say it has inflicted heavy economic losses, reduced productivity and disrupted education and public services.
Several governors in the region had repeatedly condemned the weekly lockdowns and, in some cases, threatened sanctions against workers who stayed home.
Sunday’s announcement signals a significant shift that could restore full economic and social activity across the South-East if widely adhered to.
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