Economic and social activities across South-East Nigeria came to a halt on Friday as residents observed the sit-at-home directive issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in honor of this year’s Biafra Remembrance Day.
Major cities, including Enugu, the capital of Enugu State; Onitsha, the business hub of Anambra State; Awka, the capital of Anambra State; Aba and Umuahia in Abia State; Owerri, the capital of Imo State; and Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, experienced widespread shutdowns.
Markets, banks, schools, offices, and public transportation services remained closed, with streets largely deserted.
Some residents said they opted to stay indoors out of solidarity and respect for those who died during the Nigerian Civil War, while some said they are indoors for fear of attacks and harm by possible enforcers of the order.
Biafra Remembrance Day, observed annually on May 30, is a solemn occasion for many in the South-East to honour the estimated one to three million people, mostly of Igbo descent, who lost their lives during the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970).
The war followed the declaration of the Republic of Biafra by the late Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, a move that was opposed by Nigeria’s federal government under the regime of former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, leading to a brutal three-year conflict marked by heavy casualties, starvation, and displacement.
IPOB, a separatist group founded in 2012 by Nnamdi Kanu, has consistently called for the secession of the South-East and parts of the South-South to form an independent state of Biafra.
The group declared May 30 a “sacred” day of remembrance and has, in recent years, enforced sit-at-home directives with varying degrees of compliance and disruption.
This year’s compliance was near total in many areas, with residents locking up their businesses and avoiding travel, despite warnings and threats by police and other security agencies in the region against implementation of the order.
In Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, the streets were empty as residents stayed indoors in total compliance with the sit-at-home order.
The roads were deserted with no significant commercial and private vehicular movement except for occasional movements of tricycles and a few vehicles.
Also, shops on the streets, markets, motor parks, banks, and private and public schools were shut.
In Owerri, markets, schools and offices were shut as residents of the state stayed indoors in compliance with the sit-at-home order.
In Anambra, SaharaReporters observed compliance with the order in Onitsha, while Awka, the state capital, experienced partial compliance, with a few businesses opening. However, major markets like the Eke Awka market were partially closed, with no reasonable activities taking place.
Ever-busy areas like Temporary Site (Tem Site) where major transportation companies are located, as well as banks and other businesses, were reportedly near empty with a few movements.
“I can tell you there is 100% compliance in Onitsha here,” a resident told SaharaReporters on the phone.
“In fact, I have not gone out since morning. Everywhere is locked down. No business activities are going on.”
Some Awka residents told SaharaReporters on the phone that they had not gone since morning, saying that despite the warning by security agencies, the majority of the residents voluntarily chose to stay indoors in honour of those killed during the Civil War.
One Mr. Emmanuel said, “I have not gone out, not just because of the sit-at-home order but because it is necessary for us to honour our fallen heroes who paid the supreme price during the civil war.
“People voluntarily stay at home because it is the right thing to do on a day like this. It is just a matter of one day.”
Another resident who preferred to be identified as Obata said, “Even some of our people in the police force, army and the rest, they are also feeling what we are feeling. They are only obeying their commanders’ order, if not, they would also join us to observe the sit-at-home order.
“Forget what the police said. If things become messy, many of them will not stand. They are human beings too, and they also love their lives. Just that for now, we have not heard of any violence or attack anywhere in the state or in other states.”
In Enugu and Ebonyi states, SaharaReporters gathered that residents partially observed the sit-at-home order, with minimal movements. A few businesses opened with little or no customers.
“It is partially observed in Enugu here,” a resident told SaharaReporters on the phone.
“There are some movements within Enugu metropolis, but there is no movement on the highways. Unlike every other day, before we wake up, heavy-duty trucks from the North passing through Ebonyi State would fill the highways, but since morning, I have not seen any of them pass.”
The resident added that schools in the Enugu metropolis and rural communities were shut, noting that most times, once schools in the city are shut, those in rural communities automatically join in the shutdown.
Asked about markets, banks and offices, he said, “Well, you know those areas like Ogbete Market are major areas. The market is open, but how many people are there?”
The source noted that Ogbete Market is essentially open because the state government consistently shows special interest and attention to the market.
A resident of Abakaliki, Chimdi said, “In some major places like the International Market and motor parks, nothing is really happening. Those places are more or less empty. Just a few movements.
“Basically, the compliance is not total, but people are observing the sit-at-home order because nobody knows what would really happen if people fully come out.”
Generally, it was gathered that security agencies in most states increased patrols to prevent violence; however, no significant incidents have been reported as of press time.
In a statement released earlier in the week, IPOB described the sit-at-home as a peaceful way to commemorate fallen heroes and heroines who paid the ultimate price for the region’s survival.
The group, however, warned of consequences for anyone attempting to sabotage the order.
This is despite the fact that government authorities had previously advised against complying with IPOB’s directive, warning that IPOB activities are illegal.
Civil society organisations and human rights groups have repeatedly called on the government to adopt more inclusive approaches to addressing the grievances of the South-East and to engage in dialogue rather than relying on force.
Friday’s total shutdown marks yet another chapter in the ongoing tension between separatist movements and the Nigerian state, as the memory of the Biafran conflict continues to shape political and cultural identities in the region.
