Nnamdi Kanu’s supporters order lockdown, Soludo insists market must reopen Monday; police battle-ready

By Our Correspondent

The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), led by Nnamdi Kanu, are on a collision course over the planned reopening of the Onitsha Main Market on Monday, February 2, following IPOB’s declaration of a region-wide lockdown across the South-East.

Soludo has ordered traders in the Onitsha Main Market to report to their shops on Monday, vowing that he would personally be on ground to supervise the reopening of the market, which was sealed a week ago by the state government.

However, IPOB has dared the governor by announcing a total shutdown of economic activities across the South-East on the same day, in protest against Soludo’s insistence on ending the Monday sit-at-home.

In a statement issued on Friday by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, the pro-Biafran group called on traders, transporters, banks, schools, civil servants and residents across Anambra, Abia, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi states to observe what it described as a peaceful “solidarity lockdown.”

Meanwhile, Soludo has ordered the immediate remodelling of the market, insisting that the temporary closure was necessary to revive what he described as a collapsed commercial hub.

The directive followed the governor’s recent visit to the market, where he lamented that the once-celebrated “biggest market in West Africa” had deteriorated into a shadow of its former self.

Addressing traders and stakeholders at the Light House, Awka, on Friday, Soludo said the market had effectively lost its functionality due to years of unplanned development and the crippling effects of the Monday sit-at-home.

“The Onitsha Main Market, in its current state, is no longer functional. We have done the study. The main market is no longer what it was designed to be. It has literally died,” he said.

Soludo recalled that in the late 1970s, the market operated with wide streets, organised stalls and ample parking space, allowing smooth movement of trucks and shoppers—conditions he said no longer exist.

According to the governor, persistent adherence to the Monday sit-at-home order had further worsened the situation, noting that the market had been shut for over 260 days since the practice began, with billions of naira lost weekly and customers diverted to neighbouring states.

“Leadership requires taking inconvenient steps to secure the future. The closure of the market is a corrective measure to reclaim the state’s economic life,” Soludo said.

He disclosed that the state government had, in 2023, commissioned global experts to develop a comprehensive redevelopment plan for the 25-hectare market, stressing that modern commerce thrives on efficient logistics rather than congested stalls.

“This remodelling aligns with our manifesto to build planned and sustainable markets, communities and cities. Leadership beckons us to take these difficult but necessary steps,” he added.

Following the governor’s directive, the Chairman of Onitsha Main Market, Chief Chijioke Okpalaugo, said traders had aligned with the government’s vision, while appealing for a brief grace period to secure their goods.

“After careful consideration of the proposals presented by the state government, we, the leadership and traders of Onitsha Main Market, have chosen Option 2 as the preferred path forward,” Okpalaugo said.

He added that traders accepted the decision in the broader interest of Anambra State and the survival of the market.

Soludo had earlier ordered the one-week closure of the market during an on-the-spot assessment, citing traders’ continued compliance with the sit-at-home order despite government directives to resume normal activities.

He warned that the closure could be extended if compliance failed, noting that security agencies had sealed the market to enforce the order.

However, IPOB condemned the action, describing it as “economic warfare” against the Igbo people.

In its statement, the group announced a “Biafra-wide solidarity strike” on Monday, February 2, 2026, accusing Soludo of targeting traders for observing the sit-at-home in protest of Nnamdi Kanu’s continued detention.

“This total shutdown is a direct, peaceful and unified response to the tyrannical actions of Governor Soludo, who shut down the Onitsha Main Market and threatened further closures, demolitions and revocation of land ownership,” IPOB said.

The group insisted that the sit-at-home was a voluntary act of civil disobedience and warned that Soludo’s actions could provoke wider resistance.

“Soludo’s war on Onitsha traders is a war on all Biafrans. Touch one, touch all,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Anambra State Police Command has declared its readiness to maintain law and order, outlining the security concerns that informed the state government’s corrective measures against the illegal sit-at-home and Monday market closures.

In a statement on Saturday by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, the command said the initial stage of the security crisis involved attacks on security operatives and destruction of government facilities by criminal elements seeking to instil fear in residents.

The Command said despite an initial conspiracy of silence, public cooperation improved significantly, leading to increased intelligence sharing and the launch of Operation Udo Ga Achi, which strengthened community-based security efforts.

According to the Police, 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.

The Police assured residents of their continued commitment to protecting lives and property, stressing that security agencies are not the enemy but those who seek to inflict suffering and hardship on the people.