The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and a US-based group, the Rising Sun Foundation, have condemned Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo’s decision to shut down Onitsha main market for observing the monday’s sit- at home.

IPOB’s Secretary of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, in a statement, described the action as unwarranted and a blatant violation of human rights and democratic principles.

He noted that Soludo’s unleashing of unruly military and police formations on innocent traders and protesters in Onitsha was “a stark reminder of how Nigerian authorities often initiate cycles of violence only to later falsely attribute them to IPOB and the Eastern Security Network (ESN).”

While affirming IPOB’s non-violent approach to its demand for referendum on self determination, the separatist group urged “the protesters to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and resolute in the face of provocation,” saying, “violence is not our path; it is the weapon of those who fear the truth and the will of the people.”

The group also called “on all well-meaning Nigerians, human rights organizations, and the international community to caution Governor Soludo, the Nigerian police and army, to desist from firing live ammunition into crowds of unarmed civilians, saying that “such provocative tactics not only endanger lives but also exacerbate the very insecurity they claim to combat.”