The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has threatened to declare a one week sit-at-home protest, shutting down the South East from November 5 to 10, 2021 over the continued detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu. The sit-at-home order comes ahead of the Anambra State governorship election scheduled for November 6, 2021. The separatist group issued a deadline of November 4th to the Federal Government for the Kanu's or risk a week-long shutdown of activities in the South East region.
The ultimatum was contained in a statement signed by Emma Powerful, IPOB's Media and Publicity Secretary, saying “Following the adjournment of our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s court case to 10th of November 2021, by the Federal High Court, Abuja, we the Indigenous People of Biafra wish to inform Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom that IPOB will lock down Biafra land from 5th of November to 10th of November except Sunday, November 7th, a day our people worship the Almighty God, if the Nigeria Government fails to release our leader unconditionally before 4th of November 2021.
“Our leader, must be released unconditionally on or before November 4, 2021 because he has not committed any offense known to any law. Failure to release him on or before November 4, 2021, our one week Sit-At-Home begins on November 5, 2021 till November 10.
“Although we quite understand the pains and adverse effects of this option on our people, we are compelled to take it to achieve a better purpose in the collective interest of Biafrans. We have taken time to analyse what transpired on October 21 when our leader was arraigned in court and discovered that the federal government is not sincere and only wants to humiliate him and keep him perpetually in DSS custody to rot there.
“Kanu is in DSS dungeon today because of his passion for Biafra independence, and we must sacrifice all we can to ensure that he regains his freedom. He has sacrificed so much for us all, so we must be prepared to sacrifice little for him.
“Unless the federal government releases him unconditionally before November 4, we shall sacrifice one week for him as a warning protest to convey to our oppressors that Nnamdi Kanu represents over 70 million Biafrans. He is innocent of all the charges preferred against him. As long as he is in detention our individual businesses do not matter so much because he is suffering for us all and we can’t abandon him”.
“We seriously regret the inconveniences this may cause our people but it’s a necessary sacrifice we need to make until we have our full independence. Nobody resident in Biafra land is expected to flout this directive as doing so amounts to challenging the will of the people on the Biafra project.
