The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has officially disassociated itself from the sit-at-home order allegedly declared by its publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, for Monday, February 2, 2026.
The announcement comes in the wake of controversy following the directive, which defied Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, who had ordered Onitsha Main Market traders to resume operations fully on Monday or face potential market closures.
In a press statement signed by Mazi Chukwukadibia Edoziem, Head of the Directorate of State (DOS) of IPOB, the group described the pseudonym Emma Powerful as having been “abused, misused and compromised,” warning that its continued use posed a danger to IPOB as a movement and the broader Biafran self-determination struggle.
The statement clarified that all future press releases representing IPOB would be issued on official IPOB letterheaded paper, and any statement attributed to Emma Powerful would no longer be considered official.
“For the avoidance of doubt and for the sake of clarity, any press statement released henceforth with the pseudonym Emma Powerful neither emanates from IPOB leadership nor represents the position of the IPOB Directorate of State (DOS),” the statement read.
The DOS further emphasized that it had not authorized anyone to issue a lockdown or sit-at-home order in Biafraland on Monday, February 2, 2026.
The clarification comes after Emma Powerful reportedly called for a sit-at-home across Biafraland, a move that directly challenged Governor Soludo’s directive for traders in Onitsha Main Market to reopen. The market, one of the largest in southeastern Nigeria, is a critical economic hub, and Soludo had warned of further closures if traders failed to comply.
