Soludo Shuts Down Onitsha Main Market for One Week Over Sit-at-Home Defiance

Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has ordered the immediate one-week closure of the Onitsha Main Market, West Africa's largest commercial hub, after traders defied repeated government directives to ignore the lingering Monday "sit-at-home" order and resume full business activities.

The shutdown, effective from January 26, 2026, follows Soludo's unscheduled visit to the market on Monday, where he found most shops locked in apparent compliance with the unofficial directive often linked to separatist groups like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Security forces, including police, Nigerian Army personnel, and other agencies, swiftly barricaded entrances with Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), Hilux vans, and heavily armed operatives to enforce the order and prevent access.

"This market is shut down for one week due to the protracted economic sabotage cloaked as 'Monday sit-at-home'," Soludo declared during his inspection, as reported by Channels Television. He warned that failure to reopen fully by the following Monday could lead to an extended closure of one month or longer.