Attention will be focused on the commercial city of Onitsha, today, as Governor Chukwuma Soludo and traders of the Onitsha Main Market square off over the continued observance of the Monday sit-at-home.
The standoff follows the governor’s determination to end the weekly shutdown, which has crippled economic activities in Anambra since it was introduced by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, in protest against the detention of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Last week was tense in the state after Governor Soludo ordered the closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week, directing that it must reopen today. The move sparked protests by IPoB sympathisers, who responded by declaring a sit-at-home across markets in the South-East.
Feelers from security sources indicated that government and security agencies are determined to ensure that markets open and that traders conduct business without harassment.
A joint security meeting was held at the weekend to finalise deployment of personnel and logistics for today’s operation in Onitsha and other major markets.
On their part, leaders of various markets, following a meeting with Governor Soludo, on Thursday, have been reaching out to suspected separatist agitators, urging restraint and calm.
A prominent trader, Kezie Nwadiugwu, appealed to traders to open their shops today, to avoid giving the government grounds to proceed with drastic actions.
His appeal followed Soludo’s announcement that the state would immediately commence the remodelling of the Onitsha Main Market. Traders fear that reconstruction could lead to the loss of shops for extended periods or permanently.
“Let us not play into the governor’s hands by staying away today. If we open and do business, he may shelve the demolition,” Nwadiugwu said.
Addressing stakeholders at the Government House in Awka, Governor Soludo said the market had declined severely due to the sit-at-home and decades of poor urban planning.
“The market, in its current state, is no longer functional. We’ve done the study. Main Market has literally died,” he said, recalling its orderly layout in the late 1970s, when trucks and shoppers moved freely.
According to him, the market has been shut for over 260 Mondays, costing the state billions of naira weekly and driving customers to neighbouring states. He described the closure as a corrective measure, insisting that leadership sometimes requires “inconvenient steps” to secure the future.
Soludo revealed that global experts were commissioned in 2023 to design a rebuilding plan for the 25-hectare market, aligned with his vision of planned, sustainable markets and cities.
“At this point, leadership beckons on us to take those inconvenient steps to secure the future,” he said.
Reacting, the Chairman of Onitsha Main Market, Chijioke Okpalaugo, issued a formal response assuring the governor that traders would comply with the directive to reopen today.
He said traders had agreed with the government’s redevelopment plan, selecting ‘Option 2’, but appealed for a short grace period to evacuate goods from illegal structures before enforcement and demolition begin.
High-stakes politics of survival
What began as an enforcement of civic order has evolved into a major confrontation between the government and the powerful Onitsha trading community, exposing the fragile intersection of governance, security and livelihoods.
Since August 2021, IPOB-linked non-state actors have issued weekly Monday sit-at-home directives across the South-East, often enforced through intimidation. Markets, schools and offices have frequently shut down, disrupting economic life.
On January 26, 2026, Soludo ordered the one-week closure of Onitsha Main Market after traders again failed to open on a Monday. He described the action as economic sabotage, questioning why traders opened during the festive season but shut down afterwards. He dismissed security concerns, noting that over 150 security personnel are stationed within the market.
Soludo said Anambra, one of Nigeria’s largest sub-national economies, cannot survive a four-day business week. He warned that the government could revoke land allocations under the Land Use Act and seal shops that remain closed. Attendance registers have been introduced in markets, while schools were also directed to operate on Mondays.
The governor disclosed efforts to end the sit-at-home, including amnesty programmes, engagement with agitators and the creation of a Bureau for Missing Persons.
He claimed some political actors are sponsoring the continued shutdowns.
According to the Anambra State House of Assembly, the sit-at-home costs the state about N19.6 billion every Monday, with Onitsha Main Market alone losing about N8 billion weekly. The Assembly backed Soludo’s actions, warning that up to 12 more markets could be shut if they continue observing the sit-at-home.
Traders, IPOB react
The market closure triggered protests by traders, some of whom expressed sympathy with IPOB. Social media videos showed protesters chanting slogans and rejecting the government’s stance. Security agencies barricaded the market, deploying armoured vehicles and personnel.
At an interactive session on January 29, Soludo reiterated that all markets must operate every weekday and presented redevelopment options. Some market leaders pledged support but called for stronger security and incentives rather than punitive measures.
IPOB, however, condemned the closure and, on January 30, declared a Biafra-wide sit-at-home for today, February 2. In a statement by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, the group described the action as peaceful civil disobedience and labelled Soludo’s move “tyrannical” and “economic warfare,” insisting that only Kanu’s release can end the sit-at-home.
As security remains heightened across Anambra, Igbo elders have appealed for calm and dialogue. Yet the crucial question remains: will the markets open today, or will the sit-at-home prevail?
Vanguard