The outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the definitive termination of the controversial Monday sit-at-home order across Nigeria’s South-east region. According to Premium Times, the group’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, issued the directive from detention, declaring the cessation of the weekly exercise effective Monday, February 9, 2026. The move is intended to allow for the full restoration of economic activities, educational pursuits, and freedom of movement for residents of the zone.
Reporting by The Nation indicates that IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, clarified that anyone attempting to enforce a sit-at-home hereafter is acting against Kanu’s direct wishes and will be treated as an enemy of the people. The statement emphasized that there is no longer any justification for the paralyzing weekly lockdowns, which have severely hampered the region’s productivity over the past few years.
In an update published by The Punch, security agencies have been urged to provide maximum protection for citizens as they resume their normal Monday routines. The publication notes that “the total cancellation is a necessary step to stop the intimidation of our people and ensure that schools and markets can operate without fear.” Validation from Vanguard further confirms this shift, quoting a regional security analyst who stated, “This move, if respected by all factions, could be the turning point for the South-east’s struggling economy.”
Echotitbits take:
The cessation of the sit-at-home is a significant relief for the South-east’s fragile economy, which has lost billions of Naira to these weekly closures. However, the real test lies in the enforcement; security forces must ensure that splinter groups or “enforcers” do not continue to terrorize citizens who choose to come out. Watch for whether the Monday morning bustling returns to major markets in Aba, Onitsha, and Enugu today.
Source: The Punch – https://punchng.com/ipob-orders-total-cancellation-of-sit-at-home-in-south-east/, February 9, 2026
Photo credit: The Punch
