The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has threatened to carry out a one-month sit-at-home order in the southeast region if its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is not produced in court next month.
The Federal Government in June 2021 re-arrested the separatist to face charges bordering on treasonable felony in connection to his agitation for an independent nation of Biafra.
He was immediately remanded to the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) but the secret police failed to produce him in court for his scheduled July 26 hearing, prompting adjournment to October 21.
IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, said in a statement on Wednesday, September 22 the group is aware of a plot to repeat the same failure to produce Kanu at next month's hearing.
He alleged that the plan is to help further the government's decision to keep him behind bars and demoralise the agitation for Biafra.
Powerful said IPOB will lock down the southeast region for an entire month if Kanu is not produced in court for resumption of his trial.
He said, "Our peaceful disposition as a people should not be misconstrued as weakness.
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"Nigeria cannot incarcerate our leader illegally and expect things to be normal again.
"If by October 21, Kanu is not brought to court, Nigeria will know that Kanu commands the unflinching loyalty of over 60 million Biafrans home and in diaspora.
"By keeping our leader out of circulation, his health will be in jeopardy and we won't allow this."
IPOB's sit-at-home directives have been controversially imposed in the region for varying reasons for years.
Powerful had in July announced a sit-at-home order every Monday in protest of Kanu's detention, an order that led to bloodshed as enforcers moved to make some resistant residents obey.
The lockdown has caused biting economic losses, but has become almost impossible to end despite pleas by the government, and despite the fact IPOB itself cancelled it in August.
Many citizens have decided to simply err on the side of caution to avoid enforcers that IPOB have condemned as disobeying Kanu’s direct orders to suspend the sit-at-home.
Powerful said last week such enforcers will have their ears cut if caught flouting the suspension.
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