Reported By Mary Udezue | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
ABUJA, Nigeria — Normal economic and educational activities resumed on Monday across Nigeria’s South-East after the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) announced the official cancellation of its long-standing Monday sit-at-home directive, bringing to an end years of weekly shutdowns that disrupted life in the region.
The announcement came in a statement issued on Sunday by Emma Powerful, spokesman for IPOB, saying the directive was given directly by the group’s detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and would take effect from Monday, February 9, 2026. Powerful said the order removed any reason for residents to stay indoors on Mondays, urging people to return to schools, workplaces and markets “without fear, intimidation or molestation.”
The sit-at-home, first introduced in August 2021, became a weekly practice widely observed in Enugu, Abia, Imo, Ebonyi and Anambra states, forcing closures of markets, schools, transport hubs and offices as a means of protest and pressure related to IPOB’s grievances and the detention of Kanu. Analysts and civil society groups have consistently criticised the shutdowns for their disruptive impact on commerce, education and everyday life, leading some state governments to oppose enforcement and push for a return to normal activity even before the latest announcement.
Under the new directive, residents across the South-East were reportedly out in their communities on Monday morning, with schools reopening classrooms and marketplaces resuming trade for the first regular Monday in years. Traders, teachers, students and commuters moved about their daily routines — a signal that the region may be entering a new phase of normalised economic and social engagement following repeated closures that had strained businesses and educational calendars.
The statement by IPOB emphasised that all markets, schools, offices, transport services and other economic activities must resume fully and normally, stressing that the era of Monday sit-at-home is over. It also warned against false-flag operations or intimidation tactics by individuals seeking to create fear and discourage people from returning to public life.
In parts of the region, markets and schools had previously opened on selected Mondays in defiance of the shutdown order, with some state governments, most notably Anambra State, issuing executive directives and threatening sanctions against workers who failed to report to duty on Mondays.
Public reaction to the announcement has been mixed. Many residents, business owners and educators welcomed the end of the sit-at-home as a relief from years of economic losses and interrupted learning. Others expressed cautious optimism, urging continued vigilance and cooperation with security agencies to ensure peaceful compliance with the new directive.
For communities that have borne the economic and psychological strain of weekly shutdowns, Monday’s normal routines marked a notable shift and a potential turning point for regional stability and growth as schools and markets operate fully once more.
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