Residents of Southeast zone comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states on Monday, October 20, 2025, observed total lockdown following the call by Human Rights activist, Omoyele Sowore for protest against continued detention of leader Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu by the Directorate of State Service, DSS.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that private and public schools, banks, markets, institutions and other public and private businesses were shut down for fear of attacks by the enforcers of the popular sit-at-home order.
Our reporter who monitored the incident gathered that in Enugu state, some public schools who were supposed to take their midterm test for their midterm break slated to start next two weeks were conspicuously absent from their respective schools as all the schools were under lock and key.
At Nsukka High school, Nsukka Enugu state, some teachers were seen inside the school premises, but few students came to school. Those who were in the school were boarding students. All the day students stayed away from the school as teachers who came at about 9am were complaining of not being able to see means of transportation on time.
One of the teachers who spoke to our reporter under anonymity explained that “I came from Nru side. It took me about one hour before I could see any motorbike. Even the cyclist I saw was afraid to bring me here. I had to pay as much as one thousand naira before he could agree to bring me here. This is what we paid five hundred naira before. If not that I don’t want problem with the state government and school management, I would have stayed in my house so as to avoid any safety issue.”
Along Enugu Road, Nsukka all the banks in the area were under lock and key. Also, the popular Ogige Main market Nsukka was also locked. Some of the shop owners at building materials market Nsukka who usually come on Mondays to see if they could get any customer were seen by our reporter who was there at about 10am today.
In the same vein, all the streets were also deserted in both Nsukka and Enugu metropolis of Enugu state.
The popular Peace Mass Transit parks at both Enugu and Nsukka were also shut down, like wise other motor parks.
In Anambra state, the story was the same. At Upper Iweka road, Onitsha, all the roadside vendors and businessmen stayed away from their business premises.
In a telephone chat with our reporter, one of the businessmen who deals on phone accessories at Upper Iweka road, told WITHIN NIGERIA that “I didn’t come out today. I couldn’t stake my neck because of one day event. You know election is fast approaching in Anambra state and they may use that opportunity to shed some innocent.”
Asked if he joined in any protest, our source revealed that, “there is no protesters here in Awada where we live. I wouldn’t have even joined them if there was any. I don’t want to be a victim of any brutality in the name of protesting for this country or for anybody at all. I know I don’t like what they are doing to Nnamdi Kanu by detaining him since 2021, but I will not come out to protest for his release because Nigerian police is not friendly at.”
At Port Harcourt Road, Aba, Abia state, all the banks in the area were under lock and key. The popular Ariara international market, Aba was also shut down in observance for the #freennamdikanu protest.
In a telephone interview with our reporter, Christian Ugbodiegwu said that “here in Aba, everywhere is totally locked down. No movement. No market. No business. We want to use today to protest for the release of Nnamdi Kanu who has been in detention illegally for the past four years now. We don’t want to come out to protest but our civil disobedience will surely tell the federal government that we are not happy with what is happening in this country right now.”
In Ebonyi and Imo states, the story was still the same as shops, markets and streets were deserted to observe the protest happening in both Abuja and Lagos.
WITHIN NIGERIA reporter observed that though there was no visible protest in the southeast zone for the #freennamdikanu, all the residents were in their respective houses, keeping their ears on the ground.
One of the members of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB who spoke to our reporter, Mr. James Onah said that “there is no need for us to come in the streets to protests. Our civil disobedience today, October 20,2025 is enough to tell both local, state and federal government that we are not happy with what they are doing with our leader, Nnamdi Kanu.”
According to Mr. Onah, “this is a man whom the Supreme court of Nigeria has discharged and acquitted in the last two years now because he was not found guilty of any charge against him. But he is still languishing in DSS custody. He was innocent of all the charges against him, but the federal government has refused to set him free. This is very unacceptable.
“We don’t want to come out because they may end up using their thugs to destroy property and turn out to say that MASSOB is responsible for the destruction. So, we the members of MASSOB is solidly behind what is happening in Abuja and Lagos as far as #freennamdikanu protest. Our civil disobedience which includes, closing our shops, deserting our streets, not going to work today is still part of the protest against continued illegal detention of Nnamdi Kanu.”