Sit‑At‑Home: IPOB Dares Soludo, Urges Citizens To Open Shops Despite Shutdown Order

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has challenged Governor Charles Soludo over his government’s crackdown on the controversial Monday sit‑at‑home order, directing residents and business owners across major towns to open their shops peacefully despite threats from the state government.

The governor had ordered the closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week following traders’ failure to comply with the state government’s directive to disregard the Monday sit-at-home order.

The state government had said during the weekend it would begin pro-rata salary payments for workers across the state as part of efforts to end the Monday sit-at-home.

But on Monday, the governor ordered the closure of the market during an on-site visit to the market, along with some of his aides and other government officials.

Soludo warned that the closure could be extended if traders fail to comply with the directive, adding that security agencies have sealed the market to enforce the order.

Soludo had said, “The government cannot stand by while a few individuals willfully undermine public safety and disregard official directives meant to restore normalcy. This is plain economic sabotage.

“We are not going to allow this. The closure is a protective measure for law-abiding citizens.”

He warned, “You either decide that you are going to trade here or you go elsewhere. I am very serious about this.”

However, a statement Monday signed by IPOB’s spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful, thanked the people of Anambra for a peaceful sit‑at‑home observed in solidarity with detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, saying the day “showed the world that dignity is more valuable than money.”

Addressing the government directly, the group declared, “Open your businesses tomorrow. Ignore intimidation.”

IPOB added, “No Governor has the power to punish citizens for peacefully exercising their conscience.”

IPOB argued that the sit‑at‑home remains a peaceful civil protest and lawful expression of conscience and claimed Soludo’s threats were aimed more at impressing federal authorities than protecting the Igbo people.

The statement further warned, “Any entity preventing the opening of our markets on Tuesday will have something greater than them to contend with.

“The solution is not threats. The solution is justice,” IPOB said.