Proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has openly challenged the political leadership of Nigeria’s South-East, declaring a total shutdown of the region this coming Monday, February 2, in a direct response to the recent closure of the Onitsha Main Market by the Anambra State Government.
The group’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, announced the move on Thursday, describing it as a necessary act of solidarity against what it termed “tyrannical actions” by Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo.
The development followed Governor Soludo’s decision on Monday to shut down the sprawling Onitsha Main Market for seven days.
The governor warned that further month-long closures, revocation of traders’ land allocations, and even demolition could follow if the traders continued to observe the weekly Monday sit-at-home protest.
The weekly protest, a longstanding feature in the region, began as a peaceful demonstration demanding the release of the detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Governor Soludo has characterised the Monday lockdowns as economically damaging sabotage.
In a detailed statement, Powerful declared the upcoming action a “Biafra-wide solidarity strike,” urging a complete halt to all economic activities across the five states of Anambra, Abia, Imo, Enugu, and Ebonyi.
He called on “traders, transporters, banks, schools, civil servants, and every sector” to voluntarily observe the strike by remaining indoors. Powerful emphasised that the action was a “peaceful and unified response” intended to show that “no governor can coerce free citizens into abandoning their rights or their solidarity.”
“Soludo’s closure of Africa’s largest market, coupled with his reckless threats, is economic warfare against Biafrans,” Powerful stated.
He accused the governor of provoking confrontation while “Biafra’s international profile is rising.”
While the language was defiant, the IPOB statement also urged calm. The group reiterated its commitment to non-violence and a referendum on self-determination, asking people to “stay law-abiding” and be vigilant against potential “false flag operations.”
“The world must see that Biafrans are a peaceful, mature people fighting for freedom through legitimate means,” the statement read, concluding with a firm warning: “Soludo’s war on Onitsha traders is a war on all Biafrans. This strike will send a clear message: Touch one, touch all.”
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