Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has directed the reopening of the Onitsha Main Market on Monday, February 2, 2026, for full economic and commercial activities.
The order follows the expiration of a one-week closure imposed by the state government after traders failed to comply with directives to ignore the Monday sit-at-home order ordered by the separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Governor Soludo gave the directive during an on-the-spot assessment of the market, accompanied by senior government officials and security personnel.
The governor had earlier shut down the market after observing continued compliance with the sit-at-home order, despite repeated assurances from the government and security agencies that the restriction had been lifted.
Soludo warned that the closure could be extended if traders failed to resume business on Mondays. Security agencies were deployed to enforce the shutdown.
The closure sparked protests in Onitsha, with traders marching through major streets carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs.
Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators demanding the immediate reopening of the market, describing the shutdown as a disruption of their livelihoods.
Government Statement
In a statement on Sunday, Commissioner for Information Dr. Law Mefor confirmed that the one-week closure had elapsed.
“This is to inform the general public that the closure of Onitsha Main Market, ordered by Mr Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, lapses this weekend. Accordingly, all traders are hereby directed to resume business as usual on Monday, February 2, 2026, as there is no longer any form of sit-at-home on Mondays in Anambra State,” the statement read.
Mefor urged traders and residents to disregard threats from non-state actors, assuring them of adequate security.
He also reminded civil servants and teachers that the state’s pro-rata salary policy remains in force: “No work on Monday, no pay.” Parents were advised to ensure their children attend school on Mondays to avoid sanctions.
Meanwhile, a faction of IPOB declared a one-day sit-at-home across the South-East on Monday, February 2, in protest against the closure of the Onitsha Main Market.
Spokesperson Emma Powerful described Soludo’s action as “tyrannical,” insisting the sit-at-home was voluntary.
“This strike is not enforcement; it is a voluntary, collective expression of outrage and solidarity with the hardworking traders of Onitsha, whose livelihoods are now under direct assault by a governor who has chosen to act as an enforcer for anti-Biafran interests rather than a servant of his people,” he said.
The directive has triggered fresh anxiety across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states over safety concerns.
In Anambra, the Police Command said it was fully prepared to maintain law and order.
Police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga noted that past attacks on security operatives and government facilities were carried out by criminal elements seeking to instil fear.
“The state government, in collaboration with Ndi Anambra, has now resolved to correct harmful practices arising from the security situation, including the illegal sit-at-home and closure of markets on Mondays,” Ikenga stated.
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