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• Our goods worth millions were demolished with buildings, they lament
• ‘We’ve moved from shop owners to hawkers to jobless men’
• No, Soludo cleaning rot perpetrated by previous govts – Market leaders
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The month of February ended on a sad note for many traders at Onitsha main market, Anambra State. While some of them looked forward to more business deals to be perfected in the month of March, their dreams were shattered as earth moving equipment deployed by the government rammed into their shops in the midnight of Sunday March 1, 2026, demolishing the shops, with some also losing goods worth several millions of naira in the process.
Though the affected traders were earlier given 14 days’ notice of the impeding demolition on February 1, 2026, which was later extended till 28th February, 2026, some of the traders thought that government might have backed out of the plan, more so when there was a reported court order that restrained action and ordered maintenance of status quo till the next court sitting on March 16.
But the Onitsha North Local Government Area, which acted on the directives of Governor Soludo, said the demolition action was geared towards ridding the market of several illegal structures and also aimed at “restoring the original master plan and improving trading activities in the sprawling market.”
As at 12.30 am on that March 1st, security operatives that included the military, Nigeria Civil Defence Corps and Agunechemba security outfit, barricaded the roads leading to the market prior to the demolition.
The bulldozers eventually pulled down several marked structures at Park 1, Park 2, and Park 3, as well as sections along Bright Street, Johnson Street, and the popular Gwomgworo section of the market.
Chairman of Onitsha North LGA, Anthony Nwora, said occupants were duly notified prior to the exercise, which he re-echoed was aimed at reclaiming the original master plan and restore order for seamless ‘trade and shop’ activities in the market.
When the reporter visited the market on Wednesday, the once-bustling market area close to the OMATA White House office of the market executives had turned into rubble, with broken blocks, scattered roofing sheets, and damaged goods littered everywhere. Many of the affected traders who once had shops have turned into hawkers who carry their wares on their head, some by hands, standing by the sideways scouting for customers.
Victims lament ordeal
A textile trader, Rebecca Uche, lamented: “I just came back from the hospital. I have a spinal problem. I paid over N2 million for the shop less than six months ago. I had just finished renovating the place a few weeks ago when the demolition notice came.
“Although the government said they are remodelling the market, demolishing the existing structures without providing alternatives affects livelihoods and creates hardship.”
Another trader, Ozoemenam Opara, added: “The government proposed the demolition, but traders begged them not to proceed. When they insisted, traders obtained a court injunction from Justice J.I. Nweze of the Onitsha High Court, directing all parties to maintain the status quo pending a hearing fixed for March 16.
“We thought the court order would stop the exercise, only to wake up and see the demolition in progress.”
Another trader, Okeke Akasim recounted: “I rushed to evacuate my wares at 2 am. When I got close to my shop, it was already demolished with the wares inside. I collapsed and, on regaining consciousness, managed to leave without a pin from my shop.”
Another victim, Chinonso Okeke recounted how some security operatives allegedly exploited the situation for their own selfish advantage while scavengers also made brisk business gains from their misfortune.
“In my presence, the iron structure of my shop was sold by a vigilante operative despite my plea to him. He asked me why I did not comply with the order that we should remove our wares within 14 days,” he lamented.
Confused, frustrated traders blame govt
One of the victims of the demolition exercise, Theophilus Nwajiaku blamed government for their predicament. Nwajiaku, whose jewellery shop was demolished, recalled that it was government that actually allowed developers to build shops in the now demolished places in 2021, lamenting that another government had just thrown the traders under the bus with the demolition.
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“Yes, we are aware that this place now demolished used to be a motor park where vehicles that carry goods out of the market loaded and offloaded. But, we were here when they brought allocation to build shops in those places and nobody said anything. In fact, it was government authority that supervised the project because they built it then night and day non-stop until they finished while security agents provided security to the project developer. Now, the project developer finished, sold the shops to prospective buyers while others rented spaces there. We have traded for solid five years since then without disturbance only to be scattered like this in the first quarter of this year,” he lamented.
The reporter also met another direct victim of the demolition, Nduka Okeke who shared what he and other victims were passing through presently owing to the demolition. Nduka said that most victims now wake up before 4am daily and rush to the market before 5am so they can get a standing space to trade until this Wednesday morning when government agents sacked them from the demolished spot and sealed off the whole place.
“We have turned from shop owners to hawkers. Since the demolition was carried out, we struggle to get here before 5 am daily, scramble for a standing space where we hang on with our goods. We first of all dust the ground with enough water to diffuse dust and then stand on the spot for the day’s business. Now they came this Wednesday morning and sacked us completely from here and sealed off this place.
“Where do they want us to go since government never provided any alternative arrangement for us? There are some people that collapsed and died after this incident. Some are still recuperating in the hospital. Government needs to do something to resettle us somewhere or else, many more will still give up and die out of frustration,” he said.
Market leaders defend government action
But leaders of the market are defending the government’s action.
President General of Anambra State Markets Amalagamated Traders Union, Chief Humphrey Anuna and Chairman of Onitsha Main market, Hon. Chijioke Okpalugo, in separate interviews defended government action noting that the Soludo administration is cleansing the rot perpetrated by previous administrations in the state .
“Go and check the demolished places, you see even drainage channels that were covered and shops erected on them. Even the developer who built those shops then knew that a day like this would come. That’s why he cleverly sold all the shops after building and recouped his investments immediately. My pain is that most of the people occupying the structures now before this demolition didn’t know the situation before they committed money into the property” Chief Anuna stated.
Organised private sector wants Soludo to resettle victims.
Meanwhile the Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA) commended what they described as the visionary initiative of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, to remodel and modernise the Onitsha Main Market
The Chamber President, Chinedu Nwonu, in a statement, said the market is long overdue for the transformation, which he said was aimed at restoring the market’s prestige through the provision of essential modern facilities, including adequate vehicular parking, proper fire-fighting equipment, security posts, CCTV surveillance, improved ventilation, etc, all designed for convenience and enhanced shopping experience.
Nwonu said the chamber recognises the fact that the current fragmented state of the market, resulting from years of unauthorised encroachments, has undermined its functionality and sustainability. It also took note of the implications of the present government actions in the market.
“We are deeply concerned about the profound hardship inflicted on numerous shop owners and traders whose structures—ranging from individual shops to plazas and other valuable buildings—have been affected by the demolition exercise. In many instances, individuals have lost multiple investments, leading to significant economic distress, loss of livelihoods, and emotional trauma amidst reports of tears, wailing and lamentations!
“It is particularly troubling that successive administrations, through collusions involving local government officials, political elites, and non-state actors, permitted the balkanization and sale of public spaces within the Main Market originally designated for parks, roads, open areas. They were sold to unsuspecting buyers who invested heavily in good faith.”
The chambers urged the Anambra State Government to “institute a fair and transparent compensation framework for genuinely affected traders who have suffered verifiable losses, taking into account the investments made in structures now deemed unauthorized due to prior administrative lapses.
“Provide clear relocation options or alternative trading spaces during the remodelling phase to minimize disruption to business activities and prevent further economic hardship and also engage stakeholders comprehensively, including representatives of traders, to ensure inclusive planning and implementation of this exercise.
Nwonu also called on the state government to consider free stall allocations in other markets or structured payment plan with a minimum moratorium period of two years to ease the financial burdens and psychological trauma being faced by many traders.
The chamber also said government should introduce robust legislation to criminalise the future fragmentation of public spaces by political elites and their partners, safeguarding against recurrence and protecting community assets.
“We reiterate the call for markets to have full autonomy in electing their own leaders who truly represent traders’ interests—ending the retrogressive practice of appointing caretaker committees or non-trading politicians and affiliates who influence market leadership and operations.
“We believe that with empathy, due considerations and collaborative planning, this remodelling can be a “labour pain that births laughter”—a generational project that benefits all stakeholders, boosts internally generated revenue and secures a prosperous future for Onitsha and Anambra State,” Nwonu stated.
