The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have reiterated that the ongoing Monday sit-at-home in the South-East is no longer their directive but rather a protest by Ndigbo against the continued detention of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement issued by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group dismissed claims that it is enforcing the weekly shutdown, insisting that only Kanu’s unconditional release can bring an end to the civil action.
IPOB accused the Nigerian government of using blackmail and intimidation to tarnish its image while ignoring the real issue—the demand for justice and self-determination.
IPOB Dismisses Allegations and Calls for Kanu’s Release
“The noble family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, worldwide wish to categorically notify the Nigerian military and government that they cannot blackmail IPOB and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) with Monday sit-at-home because we are a disciplined self-determination movement and have long disassociated ourselves from it,” the statement read.
IPOB stressed that the only way to bring the sit-at-home protests to an end is by unconditionally releasing Nnamdi Kanu. The group asserted that Kanu’s incarceration is being used as a tool of oppression against Ndigbo, fueling further resistance.
ESN’s Role in Protecting Biafra Land
The statement highlighted the role of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in ensuring the safety of Ndigbo, claiming that their efforts have prevented state-sponsored terrorists from turning the region into a “mass grave.”
“ESN operatives are paying a heavy price in curtailing the activities of terrorists masquerading as herdsmen. The reason the Nigerian government and its military are targeting and blackmailing ESN daily is to destroy all the defense lines of Biafrans. ESN remains the last defense for Ndigbo,” the group stated.
According to IPOB, the Nigerian military has failed to protect indigenous tribes from terrorist attacks across the country, yet they remain fixated on suppressing IPOB and ESN.
Government Allegedly Enforcing Sit-at-Home to Discredit IPOB
IPOB accused the Nigerian Army and Police of actively enforcing the sit-at-home protests to discredit the movement.
They alleged that security forces have been arresting young men in rural communities on Mondays to create the illusion that IPOB is behind the disruptions.
“The Nigerian government recruited soulless criminals called Autopiloters to impersonate IPOB and ESN, kill, and destroy in the name of enforcing a sit-at-home IPOB had already suspended. Their agenda was to mislead Ndigbo into believing that IPOB was destroying their economy,” the group alleged.
Sit-at-Home Now a Symbol of Protest Against Injustice
Despite the government’s attempts to undermine IPOB, the group insists that Ndigbo have independently chosen to observe the Monday sit-at-home as a form of resistance.
“IPOB initiated and suspended Monday sit-at-home after its first successful compliance. We have constantly condemned the violent enforcement of the sit-at-home, which the Nigerian Army and Police are part of. However, Ndigbo, who voluntarily sit at home on Mondays, do so in solidarity with our illegally abducted and detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” the statement added.
IPOB Rejects Attempts to Silence the Movement
IPOB declared that no amount of intimidation or military action could force Ndigbo to abandon their cause, reiterating that the Nigerian state has long oppressed the Igbo people politically, socially, and economically.
“The Nigerian Army should discard the idea of destroying IPOB using bullets and blackmail because that is a mission impossible. IPOB is rooted in a strong ideology of survival. The more Nigeria rejects and oppresses Ndigbo, the more the IPOB ideology is fueled,” the group asserted.
Call for Dialogue and Kanu’s Release
The statement urged the government to engage in meaningful dialogue instead of using military intimidation. It argued that the only way to truly end the sit-at-home protests is to address the root cause—Nnamdi Kanu’s continued detention.
IPOB said, “The Nigerian military should focus on real security threats instead of trying to suppress a voluntary, non-violent civil action. Any responsible government would engage in dialogue to win the trust of its citizens, but in Nigeria, everything is done through military intimidation and force.”
IPOB concluded by urging the Nigerian government and Southeast governors to release Nnamdi Kanu if they genuinely want the Monday sit-at-home to end, stating that blackmailing IPOB and ESN will not change the will of the people.
