IPOB insists Monday sit-at-home is a peaceful, legal protest, rejecting Soludo’s threats, salary sanctions, and worker intimidation in Anambra State.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has firmly defended the ongoing Monday sit-at-home across the South-East, describing it as a lawful, peaceful, and symbolic act of civil resistance rather than a criminal offence.
The pro-Biafran group insists that the weekly protest represents a collective expression of solidarity with its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and a broader struggle against what it calls injustice and political marginalisation.
In a strongly worded statement released on Sunday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB rejected recent threats by the Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, who warned that workers who fail to report for duty on Mondays would face disciplinary actions.
The group described the governor’s position as unconstitutional, provocative, and hostile to democratic freedoms.
The controversy deepened following the Anambra State Government’s announcement that it would begin implementing pro-rata salary payments for civil servants as part of efforts to discourage participation in the sit-at-home protest.
According to the policy, effective from February 2026, workers’ salaries would be calculated based on attendance, a move officials say is aimed at restoring full economic activity in the state.
However, IPOB views the policy as collective punishment and an attempt to criminalise peaceful dissent.
The group accused the state government of turning a symbolic protest into an administrative offence, arguing that such actions undermine citizens’ rights and democratic principles.
According to IPOB, the Monday sit-at-home is not enforced by coercion but sustained by voluntary participation.
The group stressed that individuals who choose to stay indoors do so out of personal conviction, moral belief, and emotional connection to the cause surrounding the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu.
The statement described Anambra State as a civilian democracy, not a military command structure, and warned against governance by intimidation.
IPOB maintained that no elected official has the constitutional authority to compel citizens to open their shops, conduct business, or move freely against their will when their actions are non-violent and peaceful.
The group further argued that civil disobedience has always been a recognised tool in global democratic struggles, historically used to express resistance to perceived injustice.
It described the sit-at-home not as rebellion, terrorism, or insurrection, but as a silent, symbolic protest rooted in conscience and collective memory.
Read: Anambra Government declares end to Monday sit-at-home, warns workers
IPOB linked the persistence of the protest to long-standing grievances in Igboland, citing historical marginalisation, insecurity, political exclusion, and unresolved grievances within the Nigerian federation.
According to the group, the sit-at-home reflects deep frustration, accumulated anger, and a sense of unaddressed injustice rather than political manipulation.
The organisation criticised Governor Soludo for allegedly prioritising political loyalty over people-centered leadership.
It accused the state government of targeting ordinary citizens — traders, workers, students, and small business owners — instead of addressing what it described as the root causes of agitation in the region.
In a broader national context, IPOB also raised concerns over what it described as selective justice in Nigeria’s security architecture.
The group alleged that violent groups in other regions are often engaged through dialogue, rehabilitation programmes, and negotiations, while peaceful protesters in the South-East face threats, intimidation, and economic punishment.
According to IPOB, such disparity deepens mistrust in state institutions and reinforces the belief that the South-East is treated unfairly in national governance structures.
The group warned that coercive policies could further alienate citizens rather than restore confidence in government.
Clarifying its position, IPOB stated clearly that it does not force anyone to observe the Monday sit-at-home. Participation, it said, remains a personal and voluntary decision.
However, it equally insisted that no government has the moral or legal right to force citizens to abandon a peaceful protest.
The group described the sit-at-home as both a personal and collective statement — a form of silent resistance that reflects solidarity, sacrifice, and shared identity.
It argued that freedom movements throughout history have often required symbolic acts that carry emotional, economic, and psychological meaning.
IPOB also framed the protest as a cultural expression rooted in Igbo values of dignity, honour, and historical consciousness.
It stated that the people of the region understand the cost of oppression and the price of freedom, adding that threats and intimidation cannot erase deeply held convictions.
According to the group, sustainable peace cannot be achieved through fear-driven governance but through justice-driven leadership.
IPOB insisted that intimidation, salary deductions, and threats of sanctions do not resolve agitation but instead intensify resentment and resistance.
The organisation identified the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu as the central symbol of the crisis.
It described him as a unifying figure in the struggle for self-determination and justice, arguing that his detention has become a rallying point for widespread dissatisfaction across the region.
IPOB concluded by calling on Governor Soludo to reconsider his approach, urging him to adopt dialogue, protection, and inclusive leadership rather than confrontation.
The group warned that history often judges harshly leaders who turn against their own people in pursuit of political approval or external validation.
In its final message, IPOB stated that leadership should be built on service, not suppression; unity, not intimidation; and justice, not coercion.
It maintained that until the underlying issues are addressed, the Monday sit-at-home will continue as a peaceful, conscience-driven protest — not by force, not by violence, but by choice.
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