Anambra State Governor, Soludo, Closes Onitsha Main Market for One Week Over Monday Sit at Home, Blocks Entrance with Armoured Tanks and Police
Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has carried out his threat to shut down the Onitsha Main Market, widely regarded as West Africa’s largest market, by ordering its closure for one week.
The Onitsha Main Market closure followed the governor’s unscheduled visit on Monday, during which he discovered that traders had ignored his directive to observe the Monday sit-at-home and resume trading.
During the visit, Soludo expressed anger that many shops remained locked despite repeated assurances of improved security across the state. He stated that the Onitsha Main Market would only reopen on Monday next week and warned that further disobedience could attract stiffer sanctions.
The governor stressed that failure by traders to comply could lead to a longer shutdown, including a possible one month closure. According to him, the state government would not hesitate to take drastic measures to restore economic activities in Anambra.
Soludo said, “I don’t mind closing this market for the rest of this year, and if it gets too much, we will bring bulldozers and level this market. If you are not ready to trade on Monday, leave Anambra and go elsewhere.”
Many traders openly rejected the governor’s directive, insisting that the government had no right to compel anyone to open their shops. They argued that trading should be a personal choice and not enforced by executive orders.
Mr. Mbabefo, a trader, who owns a shop at Fancy Line, explained that the issue had gone beyond the agitation for the release of Nnamdi Kanu. He said traders had simply decided that Mondays should be used for rest after a long week of work.
“It is not about freedom of Nnamdi Kanu any longer, it is about the fact that we traders have found out that we need to give ourselves some rest.
“We trade from Monday to Saturday, and on Sunday we go to church, attend church and community meetings, and other social events. Monday is the day we have time to rest. I don’t think the governor can stop us from opening our shop on Tuesday after resting on Monday.”
In a similar reaction, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), through its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, threw its weight behind the traders. IPOB maintained that Governor Soludo had no authority to shut down the Onitsha Main Market and urged traders to resume business on Tuesday despite the closure order.
However, NaijaEyes reported that by Tuesday morning, heavily armed security operatives had been deployed to the Onitsha Main Market to enforce the governor’s directive. An armored personnel carrier was stationed at the main entrance, while armed policemen were positioned around the market.
The presence of security forces left traders stranded outside the market gates, unable to access their shops and counting their losses. The tense situation has further heightened concerns among business owners over the economic impact of the Onitsha Main Market closure.
One unidentified trader was heard lamenting loudly at the scene, saying, “This Soludo is mean ooo. We don’t want to flex muscle with you sir, we are begging you as our father to please help us.”
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