IPOB Denies Plan to Resume Monday Sit-at-Home in South-East
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied plans to resume enforcing Monday sit-at-home orders across the South-East, describing a purported police intelligence report alleging such a move as fabricated.
The group’s spokesperson and Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, made the denial in a statement issued on Monday, October 12, 2026, in response to allegations that IPOB and its Eastern Security Network (ESN) intended to restart enforcement of the order.
The alleged intelligence report, dated October 9, reportedly claimed that the groups planned to resume enforcement from October 12.
Powerful said IPOB had neither issued a directive to enforce the sit-at-home nor authorised any such action by the ESN.
He also challenged the police to provide verifiable evidence supporting the allegations, including the original recording of an alleged voice note, its source and the basis for linking it to the groups.
IPOB accused the Nigeria Police Force, politicians and individuals it described as former members of its Directorate of State of promoting what it called a false narrative about its activities.
The group further alleged that the purported intelligence report was intended to create fear and insecurity in the region and undermine its campaign for Biafran self-determination. The allegations against the police and other individuals have not been independently established.
In the statement, IPOB maintained that its struggle was directed towards achieving self-determination through peaceful means and rejected claims that it planned to enforce a fresh sit-at-home.
The group also raised concerns about the reported withdrawal or redeployment of security personnel in parts of the South-East, alleging that the development could contribute to insecurity. It did not provide independently verifiable evidence establishing a connection between the reported redeployment and the alleged intelligence report.
The Nigeria Police Force had not issued a directly attributable response to IPOB’s specific allegations in the reports reviewed as of Monday evening. The authenticity of the purported intelligence report also remained unverified.
The controversy comes months after IPOB announced the cancellation of the longstanding Monday sit-at-home across the South-East.
In a statement reported by The Punch on February 8, 2026, the group said its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, had directed that the weekly exercise be permanently discontinued from February 9. The directive called on residents to return to their normal activities, including trading, schooling and work.
However, the situation became complicated later that month when IPOB declared a region-wide solidarity shutdown for February 2 in response to the closure of Onitsha Main Market by Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo. The group subsequently maintained that the action was a response to the market dispute.
The latest denial therefore concerns allegations of a renewed enforcement campaign, rather than establishing that the earlier cancellation of the regular Monday sit-at-home has been formally withdrawn.
IPOB urged the public to reject what it described as misinformation and called on the authorities to address insecurity and other challenges affecting residents of the South-East.
As of October 12, the reports reviewed had not established that IPOB or ESN had issued a verified directive to resume enforcing the Monday sit-at-home.
