IPOB: Confusion Over Sit-At-Home Order

By Adesina Soyooye

There seems to be confusion over the Sit-At-Home Order issued by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, beginning from Monday, August 9, 2021

Barely a few hours after IPOB’s official spokesman, Emma Powerful, issued a statement confirming that the order would be strictly adhered to, a counter statement from one Kanunta Kanu, identified as younger brother to the detained IPOB Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, emerged, cancelling the Sit-At-Home Order.

IPOB had, in the face of Kanu’s re-arrest in Kenya, and his subsequent prosecution in court and detention, on Court’s Order, with the DSS, declared that the whole “of Biafraland, on Monday of every week, would observe a Sit-At-Home Order to pressurise Kanu’s release.

Not a few people and organisations, including Ohanaeze Ndigbo had asked IPOB to reconsider the order,  pointing at the negative economic effect it would have on the Zone and its people.

But on Sunday, August 8, 2021, Powerful issued a statement  reconfirming the order, insisting that no sacrifice was too much to make for the freedom of IPOB’s leader.

Powerful warned that nobody should dare out from 6.00am to 6.00pm to avoid any confrontation with Security agents. Indeed, the Police had asked everybody to go about their businesses.

Part of Powerful’s statement reads:

“The entire Biafra land will be locked down every Monday from 6:00am to 6:00pm beginning from tomorrow, August 9, 2021until our leader, Nnamdi Kanu who was abducted in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria and locked up in DSS dungeon in clear violation of international laws is freed.

“Consequently, there will be no movement throughout Biafra land on Mondays until our leader who is suffering for our freedom is released. This protest is peaceful but firm. Everybody is advised to stay indoors in total compliance.

“We want his immediate release and our total freedom, and cannot hesitate to pay any sacrifice needed to achieve this including locking down the entire Biafra land on Mondays.

“All residents and visitors in Biafra land are advised to comply with the order. Nobody should go out to avoid any clash or intimidation by the wicked Nigeria security agents.”

But hours later, a contradictory statement was issued by the hitherto not heard of Kanunta Kanu who has never spoken on behalf of IPOB before.

In the statement, Kanunta said IPOB has suspended the Sit-At-Home Order scheduled to begin tomorrow, and would announce a new date.

It cited the NECO examination by students as a reason for the cancellation, saying that IPOB will not allow Biafran children the opportunity to join others in taking the examination. A new date will be announced later the statement said.

Part of the statement reads:

“IPOB has listened to pleas from well-meaning individuals and groups within and outside Biafra land that we consider the fate of our children who will be involved in the NECO Exam and based on that, we decided to shift grounds over the sit-at-home order.”

The questions now are:

Whose statement do people believe? Why was it not Powerful who issued the statement cancelling the Sit-At-Home Order? Why did Kanunta issue it? And why was it necessary to identify Kanunta as IPOB Leader’s younger brother? Is there a crack somewhere?

Time will tell. For now, unless a clarification is made by IPOB, a good number of their supporters are confused if tomorrow will be or not.