By SUNTV Global Channel | January 30, 2026
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced a region-wide shutdown across the South-East on Monday, February 2, 2026, in protest against the temporary closure of the Onitsha Main Market and to press for the release of its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement released on Friday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group said the planned sit-at-home would be a voluntary, peaceful act of solidarity with traders affected by the Anambra State Government’s decision to shut the Onitsha Main Market for one week.
IPOB criticised Governor Chukwuma Soludo over what it described as threats of further market closures, revocation of land allocations, demolitions, and other sanctions against traders. The group characterised the market shutdown as “economic warfare” against the people of the South-East, alleging that it was aimed at weakening continued observance of the weekly Monday sit-at-home linked to demands for Kanu’s release.
According to IPOB, the planned lockdown is not an enforcement exercise but a collective response by residents who are angered by measures the group said directly threaten the livelihoods of traders in Onitsha, home to one of Africa’s largest commercial markets.
The group called on traders, transport operators, banks, schools, civil servants, and other sectors across Anambra, Abia, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, and other parts of the former Eastern Region to suspend activities and remain indoors on the day of the protest.
IPOB maintained that the sit-at-home action remains a peaceful form of civil disobedience, rejecting claims that it amounts to economic sabotage or criminal activity. It also urged supporters to remain law-abiding, avoid confrontations, and be vigilant against what it termed “false flag operations” allegedly designed to discredit its agitation.
Reaffirming its stance, the group said its campaign is anchored on dialogue and the demand for a referendum on Biafran self-determination, insisting that any punitive action against Onitsha traders should be seen as an attack on the wider South-East.
Governor Soludo had earlier announced the temporary closure of the Onitsha Main Market, citing traders’ continued compliance with the IPOB-ordered Monday sit-at-home as the reason for the one-week shutdown.
SUNTV Global Channel will continue to monitor developments and bring updates as the situation unfolds.
