Barely 24 hours after Governor Chukwuma Soludo ordered the padlocking of several shops at the famous Onitsha Main Market over alleged non-compliance with sanitation and revenue regulations, the same traders returned en masse on Wednesday, January 22, 2026, turning the market into a scene of open protest and defiance.
Eyewitnesses and videos circulating on social media show hundreds of traders gathering openly in the market premises despite the visible padlocks chanting songs in praise of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and describing him as “their saviour.”
Traders were seen removing some of the padlocks themselves, while others simply conducted business around the locked shops, daring security agents to intervene. No major clash was reported as of press time, but the atmosphere remains tense.
The dramatic return has been described as Governor Soludo’s “biggest embarrassment yet” in the market saga. What began as an enforcement exercise has morphed into a public referendum on his leadership style, with traders openly mocking the governor through songs and placards rather than violence.
Key Voices from the Ground: One trader, who gave her name only as Chiamaka: “Soludo thought padlocks would silence us. He locked our shops, but he unlocked our anger. We are not afraid anymore.”
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Another, identified as Emeka: “We pay taxes, we pay levies, yet they treat us like criminals. If Nnamdi Kanu is our voice, then let them hear him through us today.”
Family Writers Press International, which first broke the padlocking story, released a live video from the market showing the protests in real time. The clip has garnered millions of views across platforms, with many describing it as “the day Soludo lost Onitsha.”
The Anambra State Government is yet to issue an official reaction to the traders’ defiance, but sources close to the governor indicate that security agencies have been directed to monitor the situation closely to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
The development has reignited national debate on the use of force in enforcing state policies, the right to protest, and the growing influence of separatist rhetoric in commercial hubs in the South-East.
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
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