Tension Rises in Anambra as Government Outlaws Monday Sit-at-Home

The Anambra State Government’s decision to ban the Monday sit-at-home order enforced by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has heightened tension across the state.

The unease stems from a combination of factors, including sympathy among some residents for IPOB’s declared “civil disobedience” and the group’s strong resistance to the government’s directive.

Following an executive retreat held last week, the state government formally abolished the Monday sit-at-home and ordered civil servants, traders, and businesses to resume normal activities on Mondays. It warned that anyone who defies the directive would face sanctions and announced plans to establish a task force to enforce compliance.

The Guardian recently reported that the prolonged sit-at-home disruptions have contributed to economic and fiscal challenges in the South-East. Anambra State has proposed a ₦757 billion budget for the 2026 fiscal year, the lowest among South-East states. Of this amount, the state plans to generate ₦60 billion internally, representing about 12.7 per cent of the total budget. Analysts have expressed doubts about the feasibility of the fiscal plan, given the continued disruption caused by weekly sit-at-home actions.

Reacting to the government’s move, IPOB maintained that the Monday sit-at-home remains a form of civil disobedience, arguing that no governor has the legal authority to compel citizens to open their businesses or move freely against their will.

The group warned that any task force set up to enforce compliance would amount to an unlawful provocation. In a statement issued yesterday and signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said Governor Chukwuma Soludo, or any other governor, lacks the power to issue directives that go against the will of the people, particularly when such actions are peaceful and non-violent.

IPOB cautioned the governor against what it described as threats against Ndi Anambra and Ndi Igbo, stressing that the people are not adversaries of the government and that its primary responsibility is to protect, not punish, citizens.

The statement further urged the governor to recognise civil disobedience as a fundamental democratic principle, describing it as a peaceful refusal to comply with policies perceived as unjust.

According to IPOB, citizens who voluntarily choose to stay at home on Mondays as a silent protest against the continued detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, are exercising their constitutional rights. It insisted that such actions do not constitute a crime, rebellion, or any form of offence.