Umuahia Observes Total Shutdown for IPOB’s Biafra Heroes Day Sit-At-Home

On Friday, May 20, 2025, Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, experienced a complete lockdown as residents fully complied with a sit-at-home order issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to honor fallen Biafra heroes, marking Biafra Heroes Day. Major streets, including Aba Road, Ikot Ekpene, Azikiwe, and Umuwaya, were deserted, with only occasional tricycles and vehicles moving. Markets like Ubani, Isanigate, and motor parks shut down, and banks closed their doors, allowing limited ATM use. Schools, both public and private, remained closed, while shops stayed shuttered. Some youths were seen playing soccer on empty streets, and small groups gathered at residential entrances to discuss national developments. No security forces were observed patrolling, and no clashes were reported between IPOB enforcers and authorities, maintaining a peaceful atmosphere.

IPOB’s call, announced by spokesperson Emma Powerful on May 26, 2025, aimed to commemorate Biafrans killed during the 1967–1970 Nigerian Civil War, with posts on X noting high compliance in Umuahia, Nnamdi Kanu’s hometown, as a protest against his detention and regional marginalization. Despite Abia Governor Alex Otti’s appeal for normal activities and the state’s rejection of IPOB’s methods, the sit-at-home disrupted economic and educational activities, reflecting IPOB’s influence despite its 2017 proscription, later nullified by an Enugu High Court in 2023. A 2024 study highlighted that such orders have cost the South-East’s economy billions, with Umuahia and Aba losing significant revenue daily. The absence of security patrols contrasts with past years’ heavy deployments, suggesting a shift in enforcement dynamics, though fear of violence persists, as noted in resident sentiments on X.