IPOB’s Lawyer Makes Important Announcement To Igbos: "February 2 Sit-at-Home Order is Fraudulent"
- IPOB’s lead counsel and human rights lawyer, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, dismissed the February 2 sit-at-home order as fake and fraudulent
- Ejiofor said the directive circulating on social media did not originate from IPOB and urged South-East residents to ignore it
- IPOB formally disowned the publication and warned that the Emma Powerful platform had been compromised
The lead counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has dismissed as fake and fraudulent a purported sit-at-home order scheduled for Monday, February 2, warning residents of the South-East to disregard the directive.
Ejiofor said the alleged order, which has been circulating widely on social media and attributed to IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, did not emanate from the group and should not be taken seriously.
Source: Twitter
Alleged directive sparks confusion across South-East
The disputed statement, titled “IPOB declares Biafra-Wide Solidarity Lockdown on Monday February 2, 2026 in unwavering support for Onitsha traders and demand for the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”, claimed that IPOB had ordered a total shutdown of economic activities across Igboland and other Biafran territories.
The statement read in part:
“The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, under the leadership of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, hereby declares a Biafra-wide solidarity strike, a complete lockdown of all economic activities across Igboland and wider Biafran territories, on Monday, February 2, 2026.”
The directive appeared to counter an earlier order by Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, directing traders to resume business activities on Mondays.
‘The directive is fake,’ says Ejiofor
Reacting in a statement issued on Saturday, Ejiofor described the sit-at-home order as a deliberate fabrication designed to cause fear and instability in the region.
“Let it be stated clearly, unequivocally, and without ambiguity: this directive is fake, a phantom, a calculated falsehood,” he said.
According to him, investigations revealed that the platform associated with the name “Emma Powerful” had been compromised and was no longer under the control of IPOB.
“Upon careful inquiry and diligent verification, it became glaringly obvious that the so-called ‘Emma Powerful’ platform has been fatally compromised.
“It has been hijacked by vested interests whose business model thrives on fear, disruption, extortion, and the cynical exploitation of vulnerable communities," Ejiofor stated.
IPOB distances itself from sit-at-home order
Ejiofor stressed that IPOB had formally disowned the publication and urged residents of the South-East to ignore it completely.
“The peaceful global movement of the IPOB has decisively disowned this fabricated publication, categorically distancing itself from the false sit-at-home order and directing Ndi-Igbo to go about their lawful and normal activities without fear,” he said.
He further warned that any future statements attributed to Emma Powerful should be treated with suspicion.
“Going forward, the message from IPOB is unmistakable: any publication attributed to ‘Emma Powerful’ should be treated with extreme suspicion, if not outright contempt,” Ejiofor added.
Warning against misinformation and violence
The IPOB lawyer expressed concern that false directives could reopen old wounds and provide opportunities for criminal elements to exploit the situation.
Source: Twitter
“History has taught us, at unbearable cost, what happens when fake directives fall into the hands of violent opportunists masquerading as enforcers,” he said.
He concluded that the platform allegedly issuing the directive had become a threat to peace in the region, adding:
“The platform known as ‘Emma Powerful,’ in its current corrupted state, has positioned itself as an adversary to Ala-Igbo’s peace, progress, and collective well-being.”
How to end sit-at-hhome without market closure, Soludo told
Previously, Legit.ng public affairs analyst, Donald Okwuosa, said Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludu should focus on tackling Insecurity in Anambra state rather than closing Onisha main market.
Legit.ng recalls that Governor Soludo ordered a one-week closure of Onitsha main market after traders defied the Monday sit-at-home directive.
Source: Legit.ng
