By Suleiman Anyalewechi
“All transportation by road, air, and sea is prohibited from 6.00am to 6.00 pm on May,30, 2025,which includes no human movement within our territory.
“There will be no school, no community meetings, no religious services, no opening of markets ,and stores, and no public assemblies of any kind
“Simply stay inside and enjoy television, and videos with your family while contemplating the memories, and genocide inflicted upon Biafrans from 1967 to the present day. It is a day for families to recount their experiences of the genocide.”
With the above words, the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, declared May 30, 2025, a sit-at-home day for all residents of the south-east region.
This is just as the West African Examination Council WAEC, as usual, will be conducting examinations on some subjects, same day with several thousands of candidates set to miss their papers.
In a statement on Monday, May 12, 2025, IPOB’s spokesperson Emma Powerful, informed that May 30, henceforth, has been designated a public holiday and a period of lockdown across Igbo Land to commemorate Biafran Day in honour of fallen heroes and heroines of Igbo during the Nigerian Civil war.
“Anticipation has begun as of May 1, 2025 ,with broadcasts from Radio Biafra ,and media awareness efforts by the IPOB media team.
“This month, IPOP will involve our audience in memorial lectures, honouring Biafran heroes both at home and abroad, just like in earlier years.
“The peak of the yearly memorial and remembrance event will occur on May 30, 2025, known as the Biafra Heroes Memorial Day.
“It is a day designated by IPOB for Biafrans to commemorate and pay tribute to our heroes, heroines ,and those who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for Biafra’s liberation and independence.
“The IPOB leadership has announced that May 30, 2025 will be free day ,marking a total lockdown for Biafrans residing in Biafra Land”, the statement reads in part .
The IPOB spokesperson urged the people to observe the lockdown as a mark of respect and honour to all those who made various sacrifices for the cause of Biafra,especially during the genocidal war of between 1967 and 1970.
“We need to commemorate them by spending one day indoors. We urge all Biafrans and every advocate of freedom in Biafra Land to comply with this one-day lockdown directive on May 30, 2025.
“All IPOB family members in their various countries must organize ,and obtain permits to demonstrate against the unlawful imprisonment of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu ,and the illegal detention of Nnamdi Kanu in Nigeria.
“No protest will take place in Biafra, or anywhere in Nigeria to prevent being harmed by the lethal Nigerian Security Forces.
“Biafrans abroad will gather in the streets of their host countries or organize town hall meetings to express their support in honouring our fallen heroes ,and advocating for the restoration of Biafra.
“IPOB and Ndigbo across the globe will pay tribute to all our fallen heroes and heroines ,including our everlasting Leaders, the late Odumegwu Ojukwu ,General Philip Effiong , Chief Dr Frank Opigo ,Commander Ikonso ,and numerous others who significantly contributed and fought to avert the genocide and destruction of Biafrans by the Nigerian and British Governments along with their allied forces.
“Every year on May 30 ,it is a significant day for all Biafrans .It is a public holiday for every citizen ,and non-citizens of Biafra living in living in Biafra territory”, Powerful added.
According to the IPOB spokesman, those rendering essential services ,such as security personnel, nurses, doctors,other healthcare delivery officials firefighters, journalists ,NUPENG,
are, however, exempted from the lockdown directive.
He informed that relevant IPOB organs have contacted WAEC on the need to modify its examination time table to accommodate the lockdown.
Similarly, he stated that notices have been dispatched to Governors of the South-east region, informing them of the intention of the group May 30 to honour its heroes and heroines.
According to Powerful, “the group opted for a sit-at-home option in the face of the brutal disposition of Nigerian authorities towards IPOB”.
The Source reports that during same period last year, about five military personnel were unfortunately gunned down at Obikabia Junction, in the Aba North local council of Abia state.
They were ambushed and gruesomely killed by some suspected enforcers of the Biafran Day.
The incident was to cause a big strain in the relationship between the Abia State Government and the Military hierarchy.
The incident had occurred less than a few hours after the Abia State authorities issued a statement lending tacit support to the sit-at-home directive .
However, it is not yet clear how the State Government ,and those of the other States in the South East intend to treat the latest IPOB’s notice of observing the day as a public holiday.
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