The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has announced that there will be a two-week sit-at-home in the South East.
Simon Ekpa, the factional leader of IPOB made this known in a tweet on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.
According to him, the sit-at-home protest will take place from July 31, 2023, to August 14, 2023, adding that it is in response to the demand from Biafran people who are clamouring for increased civil disobedience.
The fresh threat of another lockdown comes after hours the Igbo apex social cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and other Southeast leaders announced a plan to meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the insecurity crisis in the region.
“Following the demand by the Biafra people for more sit at home civil disobedience, the Biafra Republic Government In-Exile (BRGIE) and Biafra De Facto Government In Homeland wish to notify Biafrans that there will be a sit-at-home civil disobedience starting from 31 July, 2023 to 14 August, 2023,” Ekpa said.
He said that the sit-at-home is to demand “the immediate and unconditional release of IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who remains illegally detained at the DSS dungeon.”
Ekpa stated that it is also in preparation for “Biafra’s self-referendum and to further put the world on notice that Biafrans are taking their future into their own hands.”
According to him, it will be observed “to invalidate the illegitimacy of those who parade themselves as Nigeria’s representatives within Biafran territory.
“The sit at home will therefore take place in the following order: Monday, 31 July, 2023 to Friday, 4 August 2023 and there will be total lockdown in Biafraland.”
He said that on Saturday, 6th August, and Sunday, 7th August, the two-week long sit-at-home will go on break as all Biafran markets will be opened.*
“From Monday, 7th August to Friday, 11 August, there will be total lockdown in Biafraland while on Saturday, 12 August and Sunday, 13 August 2023 there will be a break as all Biafran markets will open,” Ekpa said.
“On Monday, 14 August, there will be lockdown in Biafraland. We hereby call on all market leaders to strictly adhere to this order and treat it with utmost seriousness.
“We also call on all oil companies operating in the Biafran territory to shutdown oil exploration on these dates to avoid the anger of the Biafran people, which may come with heavy consequences.”