In the heart of Nigeria’s South-East, where bustling markets once thrived and schoolyards echoed with children’s laughter, silence has become the new normal every Monday. A new report by SBM Intelligence reveals the staggering cost of this silence: an estimated N7.6 trillion lost over four years to the now-routine sit-at-home orders enforced by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
What began in 2021 as a protest demanding the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu has spiraled into an unrelenting crisis — one that has crippled livelihoods, drained the local economy, and left hundreds dead.
Titled “Four Years of Disruption”, the report paints a grim picture of life across Abia, Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, and Anambra states. Once-vibrant cities and towns are now gripped by fear each Monday, as empty streets and shuttered shops tell the story of a region held hostage.
“Sit-at-home has morphed from a symbolic act of dissent into a chronic emergency,” the report states. “The consequences are devastating — N7.6 trillion in economic losses, 776 deaths, and deep disruptions to education, governance, and daily life.”
Small and micro businesses are bearing the brunt, with annual losses estimated at N4.6 trillion. Transporters, too, are hemorrhaging between N10 billion and N13 billion every Monday. The ripple effects are felt far and wide — from major urban centers like Onitsha Main Market, one of Africa’s largest trading hubs, to remote rural communities now isolated and economically starved.
Initially fueled by shared frustration over perceived marginalisation and the incarceration of Kanu, the movement has since splintered. Violence and criminality have taken the reins, hijacking a once-powerful symbol of resistance. Public support has eroded as hope gives way to fear.
SBM Intelligence documented 776 fatalities and 332 violent incidents between 2021 and 2025, with Imo and Anambra states hit hardest. IPOB’s armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), and other criminal groups are blamed for the brutal enforcement of the sit-at-home orders — acts that include arson, kidnappings, and targeted killings.
Efforts to reclaim normalcy have been uneven. Some state governments have pushed back. In Enugu, Governor Peter Mbah introduced punitive measures against those complying with the order — a controversial move that has, at least partially, nudged the state toward a fragile recovery.
Yet, across much of the South-East, Mondays remain a day of mourning — for lost lives, lost income, and a region still searching for peace.