Popular separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced a total lockdown of social and economic activities every Monday starting from August 9 in the South-East region of the country.
According to the group, the sit-at-home protest will be observed weekly to demand the freedom of its incarcerated leader, Nnamdi Kanu who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for a month.
The separatist group made this disclosure in a statement by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, made available to SaharaReporters on Friday.
In the statement titled, ‘IPOB Declares Indefinite Sit-At-Home Every Monday From August 9, 2021, Until Nnamdi Kanu Is Released’, the group referred to the planned weekly protest ‘ghost Monday.’
The statement reads, “We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to announce to all Biafra citizens, friends of Biafra and lovers of Biafra freedom and independence that IPOB leadership has declared every Monday ‘a ghost Monday.’ This declaration takes effect from Monday, August 9, 2021.
“From that day, Biafra land will be on lockdown every Monday from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm until our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who was unlawfully abducted in Kenya and illegally detained by the federal government of Nigeria is released.
“We wish to state full details of this coming ghost Mondays every week, our people must understand that it was designed to show the world how serious we are towards this fight for Biafra freedom and independence everybody must adhere to this clarion call put in place by the leadership of IPOB and it would be good for everyone to know that that IPOB will not relent until Biafra is fully achieved.”
The Nnamdi Kanu-led secessionist group allegedly faulted the operatives of the DSS for torturing its leader, adding that their plot is to kill him.
In the statement, the group reiterated that all those who betrayed Kanu into the hands of the Nigerian government would face the music for their actions if any harm befalls the separatist leader.
“The DSS can go ahead and keep our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu incommunicado without access to him and we observed that DSS operatives are torturing our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to the point of death; that was why they don’t want anybody to see his state of health in the DSS facility.
“DSS should know that if anything untoward happens to him, we are going to confirm what IPOB is made of and they will understand that we are prepared for this freedom. Our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not a criminal and has the right to be visited in their custody.
“This is a call for Biafran leaders, politicians, especially those whose names have been mentioned as being behind his abduction and rendition to Nigeria if anything happens to our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu all of them should prepare never to come back to Biafraland because it will not accommodate us together.
“Nobody should take our quietness as cowardice. Our intelligence reveals that Nnamdi Kanu is under serious torture and humiliation because he refused all offers given to him,” the statement reads in part.
While the group called on the Nigerian government to grant Kanu’s lawyers access to him and allow him to sign the British Consular documents to help him, it also bragged that it would paralyse the country’s economy till its leader regains freedom.
“We declare every Monday sit-at-home throughout Biafra land until our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu regains his freedom.
“The federal government must allow him to access to his personal physicians, and allow him to sign documents given to him by the British Government to provide him consular assistance. This peaceful protest will continue once every week until our demands are met.
“We urge Biafrans to be prepared because we will no longer fold our arms while our leader who is fighting for the liberation of the oppressed indigenous nationalities in Nigeria is languishing in detention. We are going to cripple the Nigerian economy until they free him.
“Consequently, all institutions public and private, transport companies, schools, banks, markets, airports and seaports in Biafra land must shut down every Monday beginning from August 9. People are to remain indoors to register their concern over the fate of our Leader and the rest of all agitators languishing in various security detentions.
“Nobody should attempt to flout this directive as doing so may come with huge consequences. Anybody flouting this order is taking a grave risk.
“Nnamdi Kanu has sacrificed so much for Biafra, so sacrificing Mondays of every week is not too much for us. Fulani herdsmen have continued to kill our people yet the federal government failed to protect our people,” the statement added.