Nigeria has lost more than 700 persons to sit-at-home violence in the Southeast since 2021, according to a newly released report by SBM Intelligence. 

The report, released on Monday, is titled ‘Four Years of Disruption: Unmasking the Impact of IPOB’s Sit-at-Home Order in Southeast Nigeria’

By August 2025, it will have been four years since the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) introduced its sit-at-home order across the Southeast.

“More than 700 people have reportedly been killed in IPOB-related violence between 2021 and 2025,” the report noted, saying that while Imo State has seen the highest number of incidents and fatalities, Ebonyi has recorded the lowest.

Initially intended as a weekly protest demanding the release of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, the action, first observed on 9 August 2021, has since evolved into a recurring and deeply disruptive phenomenon. 

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Southeastern commercial hubs such as Onitsha and Ariaria have seen near-total shutdowns on Mondays, paralysing local trade and disrupting supply chains across the country.

“Though the sit-at-home protests began as symbolic acts of civil disobedience, they quickly took on a more coercive character. Compliance was initially high, largely driven by fear and sympathy,” the report revealed, adding that, however, recent surveys showed that only around 29 per cent of residents actively support the directive, with many observing it out of concern for their safety.

“Violent enforcement by armed actors—often described as ‘unknown gunmen’—has fuelled a growing atmosphere of insecurity, targeting those who attempt to resume normal activities on designated days.”

Founded in December 2020, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) was set up by IPOB in response to what it described as the government’s failure to safeguard the lives and property of Igbo people.

The report also said that the region lost more than ₦7.6 trillion to the crisis in the first two years.

“Estimates suggest the region has lost over ₦7.6 trillion within the first two years alone, while the transport sector has reportedly suffered daily losses of up to ₦13 billion at the height of the protests.

“The education sector has also been badly affected, with students missing crucial classes and national examinations, including WAEC and NECO, further jeopardising long-term human capital development,” the report added.