Nnamdi Kanu Ends Monday Sit-At-Home, Calls for Schools and Businesses to Reopen

The outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced that its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has directed an immediate and permanent end to the Monday sit-at-home order in the South-East, starting from Monday, February 9, 2026.

The group made this known in a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, who stressed that the decision was personally approved by Kanu.

The sit-at-home protest, introduced in August 2021 following Kanu’s arrest and continued detention, had resulted in the regular shutdown of schools, banks, markets, and other businesses every Monday across the region.

In the statement, IPOB declared that the directive has now been officially withdrawn, noting that there is no longer any reason for residents to remain indoors on Mondays.

Powerful explained that Kanu gave the instruction so that children can return to school and citizens can resume their normal economic activities without intimidation. He also challenged doubters to verify the order directly, saying anyone unsure should visit Kanu at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.

The group further warned that any person or group still trying to impose the sit-at-home directive is acting contrary to Kanu’s command and should be regarded as an enemy of the people and the Biafran struggle.

IPOB urged the public to disregard any attempts to spread fear or stage attacks under false pretenses, while also cautioning state governments against using the situation to harass residents through demolitions or forced market closures.

The statement ended with a call for unity and normalcy, encouraging South-East residents to open their businesses, go to work, and send their children to school freely, emphasizing that the Monday sit-at-home era has come to an end.