A new report by SBM Intelligence reveals that sit-at-home protests enforced by the banned separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have resulted in over 700 deaths across Nigeria’s southeast over the past four years. The weekly Monday shutdowns—initially aimed at securing the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu—have devolved into cycles of violence and civilian fear.

While IPOB has distanced itself from the bloodshed, blaming “criminals recruited by the government,” the report cites attacks, arson, and targeted killings carried out in the name of enforcing the protest order.

Many of the fatalities stem from civilians defying the stay-at-home orders and confrontations between security forces and IPOB-aligned groups. A 2021 prison break and the recent murder of 30 travelers have been linked by authorities to IPOB, though the group denies responsibility.

Despite IPOB's formal suspension of weekly protests—allegedly on Kanu’s orders—splinter groups and self-declared loyalists continue to violently enforce them. The federal government has not responded to the recent findings.