Anambra State once again fell silent on Monday as the weekly sit-at-home tradition held firm across major cities, including Onitsha and Nnewi, despite the recent conviction and incarceration of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Markets, banks, schools, and public institutions locked their gates, while major highways remained largely empty as residents chose to stay indoors.
The widespread compliance, seen across the South-East, reflects the deep-rooted sentiment and solidarity many still express toward Kanu.
Although IPOB no longer enforces the order, residents say the Monday shutdown has evolved into a self-motivated civil demonstration.
Obed Nwachukwu, a resident, told reporters that Kanu’s imprisonment has not weakened the resolve of the people.
According to him, “Anyone expecting businesses to bounce back because Kanu has been jailed does not understand the resolve of our people. This continues until he is free.”
Another community leader, Chief Okwudili Okoye, dismissed the Federal Government’s stance and the Abuja Federal High Court’s judgment, calling both “unconvincing.”
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He added, “This sit-at-home has become a peaceful way for us to demand justice. The moment Nnamdi Kanu walks free, the region will return to normal.”
Across Anambra, residents emphasized that the weekly shutdown has grown beyond an IPOB-inspired directive. For many, it is now a symbolic expression of longstanding frustrations over perceived political and economic marginalisation of the Igbo people.
