Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has enforced the one-week closure of the Onitsha Main Market, deploying heavy security presence to ensure compliance with his directive.
The governor had announced the closure on Monday after an unscheduled visit to the market, where he observed widespread non-compliance with his order directing traders to open for business on Mondays and abandon the weekly “sit-at-home” practice.
Soludo stated that the market would remain closed until the following Monday, warning that continued defiance could lead to a one-month shutdown. He added that the government was prepared to take drastic measures if traders refused to comply.
“I don’t mind closing this market for the rest of the year. If it becomes necessary, we will bring bulldozers and level it,” the governor said. “If you are not ready to trade on Monday, leave Anambra and go elsewhere.”
Many traders initially dismissed the threat, arguing that the government had no authority to compel them to open their shops on days they preferred to rest.
A trader, Mr. Mbabefo, who owns a shop at Fancy Line, said the Monday closure was no longer about political protests but about traders’ welfare.
“We trade from Monday to Saturday and attend church and community activities on Sundays. Monday is the only day we have to rest,” he said. “I don’t think the governor can stop us from opening on Tuesday after resting on Monday.”
The stance was echoed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which, in a statement by its spokesperson Emma Powerful, accused the governor of overreach and insisted that traders would resume business on Tuesday regardless of the order.
However, by Tuesday morning, security operatives had been deployed in large numbers to the market to enforce the closure. An armoured personnel carrier was stationed at the main entrance, while armed police officers patrolled the surrounding area.
Traders were seen stranded outside the market gates, unable to access their shops. One trader, who declined to be identified, was heard appealing emotionally to the governor to reconsider the decision, describing the enforcement as harsh and distressing.
By David-Chyddy Eleke, Awka
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