Sit-at-home: We won’t allow Soludo encourage destruction of Igbo assets outside Igboland – IPOB
Indigenous People of Biafra Declares Sit-at-Home in Support of Onitsha Traders
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) announced on Tuesday their decision to observe a sit-at-home strike on Monday, February 2, 2026, in solidarity with traders at the Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State. This action follows the closure of their shops by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
In a statement issued by spokesman Emma Powerful, IPOB criticized what it termed “propaganda and deception” from the government, asserting that the community demonstrated overwhelming compliance with the sit-at-home order.
IPOB articulated its opposition to the governor’s decision to close the Onitsha Main Market and his subsequent threats to demolish shops. The group emphasized that such actions could create an impression that Igbo businesses and properties outside their traditional regions are vulnerable to arbitrary destruction without repercussions.
“Allowing Governor Soludo to intimidate our people would set a dangerous precedent,” Powerful stated. “This would suggest that Igbo homes and businesses can be destroyed at will, as has occurred in cities like Lagos and Abuja in past years. This is what IPOB stands against.”
He clarified that IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu had dismantled compulsory sit-at-home orders years ago. “What we defend today is not coercion but dignity, solidarity, and our people’s right to resist intimidation,” he said.
The organization emphasized, “The message from the people of Biafra is clear: intimidation has lost its influence, and unity has triumphed over propaganda.”
The statement, entitled “Lies, Propaganda and the Failure of Deception in Onitsha,” highlighted the government’s attempts to downplay the effectiveness of the February 2 sit-at-home order. IPOB expressed concern over the deliberate fabrication of truths by a compromised propaganda machine aimed at misinforming the public.
“Throughout the early hours of the sit-at-home, there was total compliance across Biafraland,” the statement noted. “Markets were closed, and streets were empty, even in Aguata, the local government area of Governor Soludo.”
The group criticized media portrayals of market activity, asserting that while the markets were effectively shut, some individuals were staged for media coverage to project a different narrative. “This was not reporting; it was blatant deception,” the statement asserted.
IPOB contended that if the markets were indeed open as claimed, there would be no need for threats of demolishing 10,000 shops. “Their narrative contradicts itself, denying evident reality while issuing threats,” the statement read.
In closing, IPOB asserted that it remains unafraid to confront the truth, emphasizing that truth will ultimately prevail over propaganda and that a united community will not be silenced by intimidation.
