Soludo reopens Onitsha main market

Governor Chukwuma Soludo has directed that Onitsha Main Market be reopened today, allowing full trading and commercial activities to resume.

The decision followed the end of a one-week closure earlier imposed by the state government. The market was shut after traders continued to observe the Monday sit-at-home order despite repeated assurances from the government and security agencies that the restriction had been lifted.

Governor Soludo gave the directive during a visit to the market, where he inspected the area alongside senior government officials and security personnel.

The state government had earlier ordered the temporary shutdown after noticing that many traders were still staying away from their shops on Mondays. The governor warned at the time that the closure could last longer if traders failed to return to work, adding that security agencies were deployed to seal the market and enforce the order.

The closure led to protests in Onitsha, as traders took to major roads to demand that the market be reopened. Videos shared online showed traders carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, saying the closure was affecting their livelihoods.

In a statement released yesterday, the Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, confirmed that the one-week shutdown had ended and instructed traders to return to business.

“This is to inform the general public that the closure of Onitsha Main Market, ordered by Mr Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, lapses this weekend,” the statement read.

“Accordingly, all traders are hereby directed to resume business as usual on Monday, February 2, 2026, as there is no longer any form of sit-at-home on Mondays in Anambra State.”

Mefor urged residents and traders to ignore threats from non-state actors and assured them that security had been strengthened across the state.

“Ndị Anambra and residents are assured of adequate security and are encouraged to report any security concerns to 5111,” he said.

He also reminded civil servants and teachers that the state’s salary policy remains unchanged.

“Meanwhile, civil servants and teachers are reminded that the pro-rata salary system remains in force, no work on Monday, no pay,” the statement added.

Parents were also advised to ensure that their children attend school on Mondays to avoid sanctions.

Meanwhile, a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra has announced a one-day sit-at-home across the South-East on Monday, February 2.

In a statement issued on Friday, the group’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, said the action was in protest against the closure of the Onitsha Main Market by Governor Soludo.

“The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), under the resolute and prophetic leadership of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, hereby declares a Biafra-wide solidarity strike, a complete lockdown of all economic activities across Igboland and wider Biafra territories, on Monday, February 2, 2026,” he said.

Powerful described the governor’s action as “tyrannical,” insisting that the sit-at-home was voluntary.

“This strike is not enforcement; it is a voluntary, collective expression of outrage and solidarity with the hardworking traders of Onitsha, whose livelihoods are now under direct assault by a governor who has chosen to act as an enforcer for anti-Biafran interests rather than a servant of his people,” he stated.

The IPOB directive has raised fresh concerns across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states over the safety of life and property.

However, the Anambra State Police Command said it is fully prepared to maintain peace and order. The Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, said earlier attacks on security personnel and public facilities were carried out by criminal elements trying to create fear among residents.

The police said, “The state government, in collaboration with Ndi Anambra, has now resolved to correct harmful practices arising from the security situation, including the illegal sit-at-home and closure of markets on Mondays.”