Streets across Owerri, the capital of Imo State, were deserted on Thursday, May 30, 2025, as residents stayed indoors to observe the annual Biafra Day sit-at-home, not out of loyalty to the cause, but out of fear of violence and reprisal from both security agents and suspected enforcers. Despite police assurances of safety, markets, schools, transport networks, and businesses remained shut.
Many residents who spoke with OtownGist said they feared attacks from “unknown gunmen” notorious for using Biafra remembrance to unleash violence. Some also cited fear of being wrongly profiled by security forces as sympathizers of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), leading to arrest, harassment or worse. The result was a total shutdown across Owerri, mimicking the lockdowns witnessed in previous years despite government resistance.
Ferdinand Nzukoka, who owns a barbing salon in Owerri, shared his ordeal from a previous sit-at-home day. “I was stopped by security agents while on my way to my shop. They tortured me and accused me of being a member of IPOB. I had nothing incriminating, but they wouldn’t listen. That experience alone has kept me home ever since,” he said.
Another trader, Odinakachi Nduka, a phone repair technician at Tetlow Road, lamented the “double risk” of stepping out on such days. “If you’re caught by unknown gunmen, you’re a target. If you’re picked up by soldiers or police, you’re branded a saboteur. Either way, it’s a lose-lose situation. So we stay indoors — not by choice but for survival.”
Olukoma Njoku, a food vendor, explained the economic pain associated with the forced inactivity. “We lose money every time this happens. But what is money if you’re not alive to spend it? That fear of becoming a casualty keeps everyone locked inside.”
Some residents believe the situation could be resolved if the federal government officially declared May 30 a public holiday. According to Mrs. Nnenna Njoku, a housewife, doing so would take the day out of the hands of non-state actors and allow for peaceful national reflection. “If the government takes ownership of Biafra Day, it would reduce tension. No one is saying we shouldn’t remember the past. But let it be done officially and peacefully,” she said.
Despite Imo State Police Command’s patrol across major junctions and statements downplaying any threats, the city remained under self-imposed lockdown. Civil society groups are now urging authorities to either adopt formal recognition of Biafra Day or strengthen security structures to prevent continued exploitation of the date by criminal groups using fear to hold millions hostage each year.
