The Anambra State Government has ordered the immediate closure of Onitsha Main Market one of Nigeria’s largest and busiest commercial hubs for one week, starting Friday, January 24, 2026, following widespread defiance of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s directive to open for business on Mondays despite the lingering IPOB-enforced sit-at-home order.
Governor Soludo had earlier this month insisted that traders and businesses in the state must operate normally on Mondays, describing the continued observance of the sit-at-home as “self-inflicted economic sabotage” that costs Anambra billions of naira weekly and undermines security and development.
However, on Monday, January 20, 2026, the vast majority of shops, stalls, and offices in Onitsha Main Market, Upper Iweka, and surrounding areas remained shut, with traders citing fear of IPOB enforcers, harassment, and the risk of violence.
In a strongly worded broadcast and executive order issued late Thursday, Governor Soludo announced the seven-day closure of the entire Onitsha Main Market complex as a punitive and corrective measure.
“The continued sit-at-home on Mondays is no longer just a security issue; it has become an economic weapon against our people. We gave clear instructions. Traders chose defiance. The market will now remain closed for one full week to allow for reflection, reorientation, and restoration of order,” Soludo stated.
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Key details of the closure: All shops, stalls, warehouses, banks, and offices within the Main Market axis must remain shut from January 24–30, 2026.
Security agencies have been directed to enforce the closure and prevent any unauthorized entry or trading.
Heavy presence of police, DSS, and local vigilante groups already deployed across the market.
Exemptions only for emergency services, pharmacies, and essential food vendors (strictly regulated).
The governor also warned that any further defiance after the one-week closure could lead to longer shutdowns, revocation of trading permits, or relocation of some market sections.
Traders’ unions: Mixed. Some leaders expressed anger and called the closure “punitive and anti-people,” while others admitted that continued sit-at-home was hurting livelihoods more than government enforcement.
IPOB: The group’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, reiterated that Monday sit-at-home remains in force in the South-East “until Biafran prisoners are released.”
Residents & commuters: Many expressed frustration over further disruption but some supported Soludo’s move, saying endless sit-at-home has crippled commerce in the state.
The closure is expected to cause significant economic ripple effects across the South-East and beyond, as Onitsha Main Market serves as a major distribution hub for goods to states including Imo, Abia, Enugu, Anambra, Delta, and Rivers.
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Security has been beefed up around the market and major entry points to prevent looting or clashes during the shutdown.
This is a developing story.
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
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