A video showing a group dressed in IPOB insignia announcing the cancellation of the long-running Monday sit-at-home across the South-East has sparked fresh controversy.
In the clip, the group urged residents to resume normal activities from Monday, February 9, 2026, claiming the decision followed an alleged directive from IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The group said markets, schools, offices, and other businesses should reopen without fear, describing the move as necessary to revive economic and social life in the region. Okay News reports that the speakers also issued a warning to Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, cautioning against what they termed interference in the affairs of traders and marketers.
However, the Indigenous People of Biafra swiftly distanced itself from the announcement. IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, dismissed the individuals in the video as criminals and denied any link between the group and the organisation or its leadership.
Powerful further alleged that the group was recruited by Simon Ekpa to destabilise the South-East, stressing that IPOB and its security wing, the Eastern Security Network, have no affiliation with criminal activities such as kidnappings or attacks in the region. He maintained that anyone committing crimes under IPOB’s name would be openly disowned.
