Breaking: Soludo Orders Shutdown of Onitsha Market After Marketers Refused To Stop Sit-at-Home

• Governor Chukwuma Soludo ordered the one-week closure of Onitsha Main Market after traders defied the Monday sit-at-home directive
• Security agencies sealed the market as Soludo warned that the shutdown could be extended to one month if non-compliance persisted
• The governor described traders’ actions as economic sabotage and intensified measures to restore normal economic activities in Anambra state

Anambra state - Anambra state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week after traders failed to comply with the state government’s directive to disregard the Monday sit-at-home order.

The governor issued the directive on Monday during an on-site visit to the market, accompanied by senior government officials and security agencies, after observing that many shops remained closed despite assurances of improved security.

Security agencies seal market to enforce order

Following the directive, security operatives sealed the market to ensure compliance with the shutdown. Soludo warned that the closure could be extended if traders continued to defy the government’s order.

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He described the development as a decisive step in the state’s efforts to reclaim economic activities in the South-East, amid ongoing resistance linked to sit-at-home observances, Punch reported.

Soludo condemns traders’ action as economic sabotage

The governor expressed disappointment that traders once again stayed away from the market, despite repeated appeals by the government to resume normal business activities.

“Despite our assurances of enhanced security and repeated appeals to reclaim public spaces, many traders chose to keep their stalls locked.

“The government cannot stand by while a few individuals wilfully undermine public safety and disregard official directives meant to restore normalcy. This is plain economic sabotage," Soludo said.

Warning issued over possible extended closure

Soludo stressed that the one-week shutdown was a protective measure for law-abiding citizens, but warned that stricter action would follow if traders failed to comply, Vanguard reported.

“If the market does not reopen after one week, it will be sealed for one month. You either decide that you are going to trade here or you go elsewhere. I am very serious about this.”

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Tight security presence marks enforcement

The closure was enforced amid a tense atmosphere, as a joint task force comprising the police, army and other security agencies secured the market and its surroundings.

As the gates remain locked, the standoff in Onitsha underscores the broader struggle by the Anambra State Government to end the long-running Monday sit-at-home and restore economic stability.

Anambra govt intensifies measures to end sit-at-home

The state government has consistently directed businesses and traders to operate normally on Mondays as part of efforts to curb economic disruptions linked to sit-at-home compliance.

In a related development, the Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, disclosed that from February 2026, civil servants’ salaries would be paid on a pro-rata basis, tied to attendance on Mondays.

Mefor said the decision was taken during the end-of-tenure retreat of the Anambra State Executive Council in Awka, which reviewed the administration’s performance and outlined priorities for the new term beginning on 17 March 2026.

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Attention turns to traders’ next move

When the market is scheduled to reopen next Monday, attention will focus on whether traders return to their stalls following the state’s show of force, or whether continued closures will signal deeper resistance.

Observers say the outcome could shape not only the future of Onitsha Main Market but also the rhythm of economic life in Anambra State on Mondays.

“Free Nnamdi Kanu”: Cubana chiefpriest begs FG

In another development, Legit.ng reported that socialite, nightclub owner and serial entrepreneur Pascal Okechukwu Chibuike, aka Cubana Chiefpriest, has joined millions of other Nigerians in calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu.

Chiefpriest made his call in a lengthy post on his social media handle. He lamented about the state of things in the Southeastern part of the country. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/nigeria/1619179-sit-home-tension-mounts-anambra-soludo-enforcement-order/

Source: Legit.ng