Forty-eight months after the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) introduced the Monday sit-at-home order in the South-East to demand the release of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, economic activities in the region remain severely affected, with businesses and public offices largely inactive.
Despite repeated efforts by past and present governors of Enugu, Imo, Anambra, Abia, and Ebonyi states to restore normalcy through persuasion and enforcement, fear continues to keep people indoors.
Many government offices either remain closed or operate at minimal capacity on Mondays, despite assurances of safety from state authorities. Investigations reveal that while some civil servants attend work to avoid sanctions, residents in rural areas and hamlets strictly observe the sit-at-home order, fearing attacks from Unknown Gunmen (UGM), who have been known to strike without warning.
Public transportation also remains largely unavailable, disrupting inter- and intra-city travel. This has further deepened economic hardship in the region.
Although Nnamdi Kanu has publicly denounced the sit-at-home order, citing its damaging effects on the South-East economy and the senseless bloodshed associated with it, residents remain reluctant to resume normal activities. The enforcement of the order has been linked to Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed “Prime Minister” of IPOB Autopilot, a faction opposing Kanu’s leadership.
In August 2021, IPOB officially suspended the weekly sit-at-home directive, limiting it to days when Kanu appears in court. However, Ekpa defied the decision, continuing to enforce the order through his faction.
In July 2023, Kanu issued a handwritten letter through his Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, ordering Ekpa to stop enforcing the sit-at-home. Ekpa dismissed the letter as “fake” and insisted that the order would remain until Kanu directly addressed him in Finland, where he resides.
Even after Ekpa’s recent detention by Finnish authorities, the sit-at-home order remains effective in the South-East, demonstrating the deep-seated fear and uncertainty among residents.
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