The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo’s decision to shut down the Onitsha Main Market for one week following traders’ refusal to observe the government’s directive to resume business activities on Mondays.
Governor Soludo ordered the closure during an on-the-spot assessment of the market on Monday after traders and market leaders kept their shops locked, despite repeated appeals by the state government to end the sit-at-home.
The Anambra State Government said the continued Monday sit-at-home costs the state about ₦8 billion weekly and the South-East region an estimated ₦19.6 billion, while severely disrupting economic and social activities.
Soludo described the traders’ actions as economic sabotage, stressing that the government would not tolerate deliberate defiance of its directives.
“The government cannot stand by while a few individuals deliberately undermine public safety and economic recovery. This closure is a protective measure for law-abiding citizens,” the governor said, warning that the market could remain shut for up to one month if compliance is not achieved.
Security operatives, including the police, army and other joint task forces, were deployed to enforce the closure, with barricades mounted around the market to ensure full compliance.
Reacting, IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, described the shutdown as “disappointing and unacceptable,” urging traders to ignore the order and return to the market.
“No governor has the right to punish citizens for peacefully following their conscience. Weaponising markets against the people is not governance but intimidation,” Powerful said, calling on Anambra residents to resist what he termed threats and blackmail.
IPOB maintained that the sit-at-home remains a peaceful civil protest against perceived injustices, particularly the continued detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The group urged Igbo residents to remain peaceful, disciplined and focused, describing the struggle as lawful and historic.
Meanwhile, Governor Soludo said the closure was part of decisive measures to reclaim public spaces and restore economic normalcy on Mondays, insisting that traders must either comply with the directive or relocate their businesses elsewhere.