The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied plans to resume enforcement of the Monday sit-at-home order across the South-East, describing reports of a planned return as false.
In a statement issued on Monday, IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful said the group remained committed to achieving Biafran self-determination through peaceful means and had no plans to enforce the order.
Powerful accused the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) of working with politicians and former members of the group’s disbanded Directorate of State (DOS) to spread what he described as misinformation about the alleged resumption.
He said the claims appeared in a purported police intelligence report dated October 9, 2026, which alleged that IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), planned to resume enforcing the sit-at-home order on October 12.
“The IPOB, under the supreme leadership of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, rejects the allegations contained in the purported police intelligence report dated October 9, 2026, which claims that IPOB/ESN intends to resume Monday sit-at-home enforcement from 12 October 2026,” the statement reads.
Powerful described the report, which he said was signed in the name of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Intelligence Department, as fabricated.
He also challenged the police to provide evidence supporting the allegation, including the original recording of the purported message, its source and the basis for linking it to IPOB or the ESN.
“There is no voice note. There is no order from IPOB or ESN to resume any sit-at-home. There is no plan by this movement to enforce anything on the people of the South-East or Imo State,” he said.
“IPOB has repeatedly stated, and we restate today with absolute clarity: we have no business with enforcement. Our struggle is political, lawful, and directed solely at the realisation of Biafran self-determination through peaceful means.”
IPOB Raises Alarm Over Security Personnel Withdrawal
Powerful also alleged that the withdrawal of security personnel from parts of the South-East was intended to create an opportunity for renewed violence in the region.
He said the group had previously warned that the withdrawal could trigger fresh unrest, adding that the purported police intelligence report reinforced its concerns.
The IPOB spokesperson urged the Federal Government and those he accused of collaborating with the police to stop spreading what he called false information and instead address hunger, unemployment and insecurity.
He also called for the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, describing his continued incarceration as illegal.
Powerful maintained that the group had no plans to enforce the Monday sit-at-home order and challenged the police to substantiate their claims.
Chronicle NG could not independently verify the allegations made by either side in the statement.
