Confusion, on Sunday, trailed the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB’s sit-at-home order over the detention of the group’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as his younger brother, Kanunta Kanu, announced the suspension of the order.
The younger Kanu hinged his decision to suspend the order on the just begun National Examination Council (NECO) Exam for junior secondary schools, saying that a new date would be announced for the sit-at-home order after the examinations.
His position, however, contradicts that of IPOB which earlier in the day maintained that the order remained sacrosanct and would commence on Monday as planned, in all the five states of the South-East region.
The pro-Biafra group had two weeks ago, ordered for sit-at-home that would be observed every Monday throughout Igbo land, starting from August 9 in what appeared to be in solidarity with its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, until when his trial will end.
According to a statement issued by the IPOB leader’s younger brother, Kanunta Kanu, he said the group arrived at the decision after listening to pleas from well-meaning individuals and groups within and outside the South-East that the order is suspended to allow students from Igbo land to participate in the NECO exam.
“IPOB has listened to pleas from well-meaning individuals and groups within and outside Biafra land that we consider the fate of our children who will be involved in the NECO Exam and based on that, we decided to shift grounds over the sit-at-home order.
“As a group fighting for the liberation of her people from oppression from her enemies, we realized that it would amount to assisting the said enemies to inflict more harm on our children if we do not suspend the sit-at-home order to allow Biafra students to take their exams.”
The statement added that IPOB on its part, having realised the academic deprivation the already marginalised Biafra students who entered for this year’s NECO would suffer, decided to suspend the sit-at-home order to a later date, to allow the students to take their exams.
While making it clear the sit-at-home order has not been cancelled, but only suspended for the sake of Biafra students taking this year’s NECO Exam, the statement called on all IPOB global family members and Biafrans at large to await further directives in this regard.
But IPOB, in a statement endorsed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful said the Monday order remained.
“We the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu wishes to remind all Biafrans and friends of Biafran that the Monday sit-at-home order is sacrosanct. The entire Biafra land will be locked down every Monday from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm beginning from tomorrow, August 9, 2021until our leader, Nnamdi Kanu who was abducted in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria and locked up in DSS dungeon in clear violation of international laws is freed”, the statement reiterated.
“Consequently, there will be no movement throughout Biafra land on Mondays until our leader who is suffering for our freedom is released. This protest is peaceful but firm. Everybody is advised to stay indoors in total compliance.
“All markets, schools, motor parks, airports, and public places in Biafra land should shut down from morning to evening every Monday. We understand the economic implications of this measure but we are constrained to take it so that the world will know that our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not alone in the struggle for Biafra autonomy.
“We want his immediate release and our total freedom, and cannot hesitate to pay any sacrifice needed to achieve this including locking down the entire Biafra land on Mondays.
“All residents and visitors in Biafra land are advised to comply with the order. Nobody should go out to avoid any clash or intimidation by the wicked Nigeria security agents”, it warned.
In another statement by the group, issued in reaction to the younger Kanu’s directive suspending the action, IPOB warned that anybody who ventured to come out on Monday would regret his or her life, just as it debunked the suspension of the Monday Sit-at-home order
Powerful then urged Biafrans to disregard the report and obey the order as he remains the only IPOB spokesperson.
“The attention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been drawn to the purported suspension of Monday sit at home order issued by leadership of IPOB has been suspended by some section of media. We wish to remind every Biafran that the sit at home order remains sacrosanct on Monday tomorrow.
“Anybody issuing press statement concerning IPOB sit at home order is fake and any statement without sit at home order or any activity of IPOB remain comrade Emma Powerful the media and publicity secretary for IPOB.
Therefore, every Biafran should disregard regard every statement that is not from Emma Powerful or DOS and radio Biafra.
“We know the situation of those going exam tomorrow but our demand is for them release our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and our people must understand that Fulani terrorists and co stopped our people school for three years during the genocidal war in 1967 to 1970 and it did not kill our people and this one day sacrifice for the release of somebody who has sacrificed a lot for our land.
“Anybody who ventures to come out tomorrow will regret his or her life. We warn you tomorrow is a total lockdown in every part of Biafra tomorrow.”
It would be recalled that IPOB leader Kanu, was arrested in Kenya before he was handed over to the Federal government a few weeks ago.