Tension In Onitsha As Traders Protest Soludo’s Market Shutdown

There was tension at the Onitsha Main Market on Tuesday morning as traders staged a protest against the one-week closure order on the market by Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.

The protest erupted hours after security agencies barricaded the sprawling market, enforcing the governor’s directive following traders’ failure to comply with the state government’s order to open for business on Mondays despite repeated warnings.

In several videos circulating online, shops were locked, while groups of traders were seen loitering and holding placards, chanting slogans and expressing anger over what they described as an “unfair punishment.”

As of Tuesday morning, security personnel had been deployed across the market, with Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and Hilux vans blocking major entry and exit points.

A joint task force made up of the police, military, and other security agencies was on the ground to enforce compliance and prevent any breakdown of law and order.

Governor Soludo, during an unscheduled inspection of the market on Monday, ordered its immediate closure after market leaders and traders failed to show up for business despite multiple government appeals to end the Monday sit-at-home being declared by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Soludo, visibly angered during the visit, described the continued compliance with the illegal sit-at-home order as “plain economic sabotage” and warned that the market could remain sealed for up to a month if the defiance continued.

“The government cannot stand by while a few individuals willfully undermine public safety and disregard official directives meant to restore normalcy,” the governor said.
“The closure is a protective measure for law-abiding citizens.”

According to the state government, the persistent sit-at-home has cost Anambra State about ₦8 billion weekly, and the wider South-East region nearly ₦19.6 billion, crippling commerce and economic activities.

As of the time of filing this report, the Onitsha Main Market remained sealed off, with security patrols ongoing and traders vowing to continue their protest until the government reconsiders its decision.