Nigeria: Kanu’s Trial – Four-Day Lockdown Looms in South-East

The IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is to appear in court on May 18, for the continuation of his trial.

There are indications that residents of Nigeria’s South-east will, again, be forced to stay at home from Monday as two factions of outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) declared a lockdown across the region.

This is the second time, in one year, that the pro-Biafra group would compel residents of the region to observe a four-day lockdown.

There was a similar lockdown in January, following the resumed trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB.

Although both factions of the group, in this latest declaration of another lockdown, claimed the civil order was declared in solidarity with Mr Kanu, they did not agree on the dates for the order.

Two IPOB factions

While a faction of the IPOB claims to be under the authority and leadership of Mr Kanu, another group is being led by Simon Ekpa, a former disciple of Mr Kanu.

Emma Powerful is the spokesperson for the faction under Mr Kanu’s command.

Mr Ekpa has repeatedly pledged allegiance to Mr Kanu and support for Biafra agitation, despite leading a faction of the IPOB called “Autopilots”.

The separatist group had, during the detention of Mr Kanu in July, 2021, announced Simon Ekpa as the director of the group’s pirate radio channel, Radio Biafra, to replace the detained IPOB leader in the station.

IPOB has been using the station to broadcast inciting messages and propaganda against the Nigerian government.

But shortly after Mr Ekpa’s appointment, IPOB announced his disengagement because of his refusal to sign the rules of engagement in the operation of the radio station.

Sit-at-home order in the South-east

IPOB had suspended its earlier Monday’s sit-at-home order, in preference for the order to be implemented only on the days Mr Kanu appears in court.

Despite its suspension, residents of the five South-east states – Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia and Anambra – have been observing Monday’s sit-at-home order, mostly out of fear.

Gunmen have lately attacked some residents, motorists and commuters in the region for stepping out of their homes on Monday and other days declared as lockdown.

Contradictory lockdown days

Mr Kanu is to appear in court on Wednesday, May 18, for the continuation of his trial, according to Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lawyer to the IPOB leader.

For this, since early May, Mr Ekpa, the leader of the “Autopilots” faction of IPOB, has been issuing notice of a three-day lockdown in the South-east.

He said the lockdown would last between Monday, May 16 and Wednesday, May 18.

“Remember the historic three days’ sit-at-home in Biafraland for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and demand for Biafra. Biafraland will be under lock and key on 16th, 17th and 18th of May, 2022,” Mr Ekpa posted on his Twitter handle, May 8.

Mr Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish lawyer, has been reminding residents of the lockdown via his social media handles, mainly Twitter.

He lives in Finland, and is reportedly behind a voice note warning residents in Nigeria’s South-east to stay at home on the stated days.

But the IPOB faction under Mr Kanu’s leadership disowned the faction and the three-day lockdown, insisting that the civil order would only hold on Wednesday, May 18, and Thursday, May 26.

In a statement on Saturday, by the group’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the faction said any declaration of sit-at-home order outside the stated days did not come from IPOB and asked residents of the region to ignore it.

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