IPOB declares May 30 sit-at-home to honour Biafran heroes

DDM News

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced a total lockdown across the Southeast region of Nigeria on May 30, 2025.

This directive is part of the group’s annual Biafra Heroes Memorial Day, which is set aside to honour those who died during the Nigerian Civil War in pursuit of an independent Biafran state.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reports that IPOB made the announcement on Monday through its official spokesperson, Emma Powerful, who signed a public statement detailing the group’s plans.

In the statement, IPOB described May 30 as a public holiday within “Biafra Land,” urging all residents to remain indoors in observance of the memorial.

According to the group, the remembrance is not only for those who died on the battlefield but also for the men, women, and children who suffered and perished due to war-related causes, including starvation and disease.

Emma Powerful revealed that preparations for the day began on May 1, 2025, with awareness campaigns through Radio Biafra broadcasts and various media outlets affiliated with the IPOB movement.

He stated that IPOB has also planned memorial lectures and tributes to honour fallen Biafran heroes, both within Nigeria and among the diaspora.

The statement emphasized that the lockdown would serve as the climax of the annual remembrance activities.

Powerful said the leadership of IPOB decided on a sit-at-home order to give Biafrans a chance to reflect, mourn, and pay tribute in a solemn and peaceful manner.

He cautioned that anyone who defied the lockdown directive would do so at their own risk.

He further alleged that Nigerian security forces have in the past used such occasions to target and harass innocent citizens of Igbo descent.

To prevent potential violence and loss of lives, IPOB advised all residents of the Southeast to avoid public spaces and gatherings.

“All forms of movement and business activities must come to a halt on May 30,” the group warned.

Transporters, traders, students, and civil servants were all directed to observe the sit-at-home order.

IPOB claimed that the measure is necessary to protect the lives of the people and prevent confrontations with what it described as “ethnically biased” military and police forces.

The group insisted that the safety and well-being of “Ndigbo” is their top priority and that such lockdowns are one of the strategies they have adopted to reduce bloodshed.

May 30 is a historically significant date for IPOB and Biafran supporters.

On that day in 1967, the late Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu declared the Republic of Biafra, triggering a civil war that lasted until 1970.

The war led to the deaths of over three million people, most of whom were from the Southeast.

Many of them died not just in combat but from starvation, malnutrition, and disease due to blockades and humanitarian crises.

However, the group remains active and maintains widespread support across parts of the Southeast, where many still nurse grievances over political and economic marginalization.

IPOB’s annual remembrance events and lockdown orders have often drawn criticism from government officials and security agencies, who argue that such actions disrupt economic activities and instill fear in the populace.

Despite this, IPOB insists that the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for Biafra must be preserved.

The group reiterated its call for total compliance with the sit-at-home order on May 30 and urged the people to honour their fallen heroes peacefully and respectfully.

As the date draws closer, all eyes are on the Southeast to see how both residents and government forces will respond to this sensitive and potentially tense day.

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