JUST IN]: Sit-at-Home Grounds Anambra as IPOB Claims 85% Shutdown, Alleges N50m Spent on ‘Stage-Managed’ Market Visit

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Anambra State witnessed widespread disruption on Monday following a sit-at-home directive linked to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, with observers estimating up to 85 per cent compliance across the state.

According to reports and visual evidence circulated by several media platforms, including Oriental Times, Igbere TV, Punch Newspapers, Sahara Reporters, Blueprint and AIT, major streets were largely deserted, while banks, schools, offices and markets reportedly remained closed for most of the day.

In a public statement dated February 3, 2026, Barrister Christopher Chidera, a public policy analyst based in Abuja, described the development as a significant paralysis of economic and social activities in Anambra and parts of the South-East.

Chidera alleged that, following the reported shutdown, Governor Chukwuma Soludo visited a market in the state between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., a move he described as “damage control” rather than an assessment of normal commercial activity. He claimed the visit involved a “staged appearance” with hired supporters and was aimed at projecting an image of normalcy for media coverage.

The analyst further alleged that the governor’s visit did not reflect genuine market activity, arguing that an operational market would typically attract official inspection in the morning hours, with traders actively engaged in business rather than participating in rallies.

In the statement, Chidera also claimed that as much as N50 million may have been expended on logistics, crowd mobilisation and media arrangements surrounding the visit. These claims, however, have not been independently verified, and the Anambra State Government has yet to issue an official response to the allegations at the time of filing this report.

He maintained that the overall outcome of the sit-at-home reflected strong compliance across Anambra and the wider South-East, insisting that video evidence circulating online contradicted claims of widespread commercial activity.

“The people are not deceived by optics,” the statement read, adding that visual documentation of empty streets and closed markets remains part of the public record.

As of press time, there has been no formal reaction from the Anambra State Government addressing the claims of compliance levels, alleged expenditure, or the characterisation of the governor’s market visit.