Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has ordered the group to suspend the ‘Every Monday’ sit-at-home protest in the South-East.
This was announced in a statement this weekend by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful.
He said that the sit-at-home order to protest the detention of Kanu by the Nigerian government would now be observed on the dates of “our leader’s court appearances.”
According to Powerful, “The suspension of the Sit-At-Home by the IPOB Head of Directorate was as a result of an order from the leader of this great movement, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“In accordance with the directive from our leader, our Sit-At-Home will, in the meantime, be observed on the date of our leader’s court appearances.”
The group started the weekly sit-at-home protest on August 9. No less than three persons died in the South-East as a result of the order.
It is believed that due to the rejection of the order by many people in the South-East, including Nnamdi Kanu’s own family members, the group decided to suspend it.
The statement by Powerful announcing the suspension of the order read in part:
“The leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra understand the concern being expressed by the global IPOB family on the suspension of the weekly Sit-At-Home earlier announced by the IPOB Head of Directorate of State of the Indigenous people of Biafra.
“We know that our people embraced this civil action wholeheartedly and without any compulsion. The leadrrship sincerely appreciate the innate desire of Biafrans to sacrifice their time, resources and energy in ensuring that our leader Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is released unconditionally from the illegal custody of the Nigerian State who criminally renditioned him from Kenya to Nigeria.
“There is no gain saying the fact that one of the major fundamental guiding principle of IPOB is Command and Control. This simply means that all command from the Supreme leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) will be obeyed and implemented to the latter by the Directorate of State of the Indigenous people of Biafra.
“Bearing in mind therefore that this principle has enabled this movement to surpass even the expections of both Biafrans and Non-Biafrans alike, the leadership wish to encourage Biafran to focus on the most pressing issue confronting this great family presently which is ensuring the safety of our leader while still in the illegal custody of the DSS and to secure his unconditional release from detention.
“The lPOB leadership urge Biafrans worldwide to take note of the next court appearance of our leader which is the 21st of October 2021. If however we have any reason or directive from the IPOB hightest command that require us to reactivate the suspended Weekly Sit-At-Home, the leadership will not hesitate to lift the suspension and continue with the our civil action.
“The leadership once more appreciates all Biafrans and our friends and sympathizers who faithfully observed the Monday August 9 Sit-At-Home which was a huge success throughout Biafra land. May God continue to bless and uphold all those committed to our struggle.
“We consider Biafra restoration as a sacrosanct call to duty above all else. Any other information regarding Sit-At-Home in Biafraland not emanating from IPOB through our main channels of information dissemination should be disregarded.
“The Nigeria Government should heed now to the voice of reason coming from within Nigeria and from outside the shores of Nigeria to unconditionally free our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and announce a date for Biafra referendum or plebiscite where our people will choose where they wish to belong before it is too late.”