May 12, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared Friday, May 30, 2025, a total lockdown and public holiday across Nigeria’s South-East region in observance of its annual Biafra Heroes Memorial Day.
The group will mark the day with a strict sit-at-home order from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
According to IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the lockdown is a solemn act of remembrance to honor all Biafran heroes and heroines who lost their lives in the struggle for Biafra’s self-determination and independence.
Powerful stated, “This one-day total lockdown is a solemn act of remembrance. We must stay indoors to pay tribute to those who gave their lives in the Nigeria-Biafra war and in our continued fight for freedom.”
IPOB has outlined specific guidelines for the lockdown, including No movement, No market, No school, No church and No social gatherings.
Only emergency and essential services will be exempted.
The lockdown will affect road, air, and sea transportation in the Southeast region, with IPOB warning transporters to avoid operating on that day.
The group has also reached out to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to adjust exam schedules and ensure students are not penalized.
Powerful emphasized the importance of unity and discipline during the memorial, urging all to remain indoors and reflect on the sacrifices made for their cause.
“No movement, no market, no school, no church, no social gatherings. Only emergency and essential services will be exempted,” he reiterated.
IPOB will commemorate the Biafra Heroes Memorial Day with a month-long series of broadcasts and memorial programs by Radio Biafra and IPOB’s media team.
The group has also instructed its members in the diaspora to organize peaceful demonstrations and town hall meetings in their host countries, calling for international recognition of Biafra and demanding the release of its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
