Security operatives, including soldiers and policemen, on Tuesday enforced the one-week closure of the Onitsha Main Market ordered by the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, amid sharp condemnation from the Indigenous People of Biafra and protests by traders.
Hundreds of security personnel were deployed to the market as early as 6am, with armoured personnel carriers and Hilux patrol vans positioned at strategic locations to block access and ensure compliance with the closure order.
Governor Soludo had, during an on-the-spot inspection of the market on Monday, ordered the shutdown after traders and market leaders reportedly defied repeated government appeals to resume business on Mondays, despite the sit-at-home directive issued by IPOB.
The state government said the continued sit-at-home had cost Anambra State about N8bn weekly and the South-East region an estimated N19.6bn, disrupting economic and social activities.
“The government cannot stand by while a few individuals willfully undermine public safety and disregard official directives meant to restore normalcy. This is plain economic sabotage. We are not going to allow this.
“The closure is a protective measure for law-abiding citizens,” Soludo said, warning that the market could remain sealed for up to one month if compliance failed.
Our correspondent observed that joint security teams comprising the police, army and other task forces barricaded the market perimeter, preventing traders who attempted to gain access from entering, while shops remained locked.
Only food vendors and sachet water hawkers were seen operating, as traders gathered in clusters around the market discussing the development.
At some point, the enforcement exercise became tense as traders ran helter-skelter when security operatives moved around the premises, leading to brief confrontations.
The situation was worsened by a counter-directive from IPOB, which urged traders to defy the governor’s order and reopen the market on Tuesday, describing the closure as “disappointing and unacceptable.”
The closure took another dimension when protests erupted within and around the market, with traders marching through adjoining streets carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs in support of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
They were heard chanting slogans such as “Nnamdi Kanu is our another saviour,” “Soludo, we no go gree o,” “Say no to Monday,” and “Government did not open business for us.”
Although the protests remained largely peaceful, security operatives struggled to contain the crowd to prevent escalation.
A trader, who identified himself as Tochi, faulted the closure.
“It is absolutely wrong for the governor to order the closure of the market without proper consultation. The government did not establish business for anybody.
“Some of the traders had perishable items in their shops that may get spoilt before the end of the week. The Monday sit-at-home is an exercise we do on our own in solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu who is being held unjustly by the government. Nobody has the right to stop us from it,” he said.
Reacting, IPOB condemned the heavy security presence at the market, describing it as “barbaric and unwarranted.”
In a statement on Tuesday, the group’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, accused Soludo of unleashing security forces on innocent traders as if the state were at war.
“This tragic incident is a stark reminder of how Nigerian authorities often initiate cycles of violence only to later falsely attribute them to IPOB and the Eastern Security Network,” Powerful said.
“We call on all well-meaning Nigerians, human rights organizations, and the international community to immediately caution Governor Soludo and warn the Nigerian police and army to desist from firing live ammunition into crowds of unarmed civilians.”
He added, “Governor Soludo, by allowing himself to be manipulated as a tool in the hands of oppressors, has stained his hands with the blood of his own people. This is not governance; it is state-sponsored terrorism designed to undermine the legitimate aspirations of the Biafran people.”
Powerful insisted that IPOB remained committed to peace and dialogue.
“IPOB remains committed to peace and a negotiated settlement that culminates in a democratic referendum on self-determination—the very cause for which our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been unjustly imprisoned.
“We urge all protesters to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and resolute in the face of provocation. Violence is not our path,” he said.
The Anambra State Police Command, however, said the security deployment was strictly to maintain law and order.
In a statement, the police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said, “The Onitsha Main Market has been re-closed in compliance with the directive of the Anambra State Government, as approved by His Excellency, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR.
“In furtherance of this directive, adequate security has been deployed in and around the market, as well as other strategic locations within Onitsha, by the Police in collaboration with other security agencies, to maintain law and order and prevent any breach of public peace.”
He added that traders seen in viral videos were sensitised to cooperate with government directives.
“The Command assures members of the public that the situation in Onitsha and across Anambra State remains calm and under control,” Ikenga said.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Onitsha Main Market described the governor’s action as a “wise decision.”
The Chairman of the market, Chijioke Okpalaugo, said the closure was necessary to restore economic stability lost to the sit-at-home order.
“His decision is a wise decision and a welcome development. His action came at the right time. The order is for our good. We are fully in support of his action,” he said.
Okpalaugo appealed to Soludo to temper justice with mercy.
“We have sent our appeal letter to him to consider us by reversing his decision. Our governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo is a listening and progressive-minded governor,” he said.
He urged traders to remain calm and law-abiding, warning against taking the law into their hands.
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