The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged residents of the Southeast region to disregard the sit-at-home order issued by an unidentified group. In a statement released on Monday, IPOB clarified that the order, which called for a two-day shutdown of activities on October 21 and 22, did not come from their pro-Biafra organization.
The order, circulating through audio and video messages on social media, advised residents to avoid public spaces, and parents were instructed to keep their children at home. Market owners and business operators were also warned to close their shops or face consequences. However, IPOB has described the order as illegitimate, urging people to resume their daily routines without fear.
Emma Powerful, IPOB’s spokesperson, emphasized, “IPOB did not declare any sit-at-home order on October 21 and 22. The illegal order is from criminal elements and Finland-based infiltrators who are not our members.”
He reiterated that IPOB had long suspended such actions, adding, “Biafrans must understand that IPOB does not declare unnecessary sit-at-home. Anybody declaring it is a criminal element that should be ignored.”
Powerful further explained that IPOB’s leadership had chosen not to address the matter earlier to avoid granting undue attention to the perpetrators of the fake order.
IPOB has consistently distanced itself from unauthorized sit-at-home orders, stressing that such directives only come from the group’s established leadership and are reserved for significant occasions like the annual Biafra Heroes Day, which is observed on May 30.
