BY GODWIN OBI
Tension is rising in Anambra State as traders and leaders of the Onitsha Main Market prepare for the resumption of trading on Monday, amid renewed sit-at-home threats issued by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
The pro-Biafran group, through its spokesperson Emma Powerful, last Friday directed traders, transport operators, banks, schools, civil servants and other sectors across the Southeast to observe a sit-at-home, describing it as a peaceful solidarity action.
IPOB said the directive was in response to the Anambra State Government’s decision to shut down the Onitsha Main Market for one week following continued compliance with Monday sit-at-home orders.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo had ordered the market’s closure as part of efforts to enforce full resumption of commercial activities across the state.
Reacting, IPOB accused the governor of attempting to suppress what it termed peaceful civil disobedience linked to the continued detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
However, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, dismissed the sit-at-home order, describing its enforcement as having evolved from political protest into criminal activity.
Quoting the governor, Mefor said all markets and businesses in the state would remain open on all official working days, warning that the government would take firm action against continued defiance.
He added that the governor convened a meeting with market leaders in Awka to address both the prolonged sit-at-home and the reopening of the Onitsha Main Market.
Traders directed to resume
According to Mefor, the Chairman of the Onitsha Main Market, Mr Chijioke Okpalugo, assured the government that traders would return to business on Monday, while also requesting increased security to protect traders and customers.
Market leaders were said to have agreed to enforce compliance measures, including monitoring attendance across market lines. Traders who fail to reopen their shops risk sanctions, including possible revocation of shop ownership.
The state government also pledged to deploy security personnel to strategic locations around the market to ensure safety.
Mefor warned that traders who continued to observe the sit-at-home would be identified and sanctioned.
“Any shop that fails to open on Monday will be treated as engaging in economic sabotage,” he said, adding that the government would revoke affected shops and compensate owners in line with existing regulations.
He disclosed that security agencies, including the army, police, civil defence corps and the state’s security outfit, would be fully deployed across Onitsha to maintain law and order.
The commissioner insisted that insecurity was not responsible for the sit-at-home compliance, noting that the market already had internal security arrangements.
Calls for caution
Meanwhile, some regional leaders have urged restraint. President of the Ala-Igbo Development Foundation, Prof. Awuzie Unachukwu, warned that punitive measures against traders could deepen fear and economic hardship in the region.
He said many residents stayed indoors on Mondays out of fear rather than political sympathy, urging the government to prioritise reassurance and visible security.
Unachukwu stressed that economic losses should not outweigh the value of human life, noting that people would rather forgo daily income than risk their safety.
On his part, former National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Alex Ogbonnia, called for an end to the sit-at-home order, describing it as harmful to the Southeast economy.
He said Igbo leaders largely supported the Anambra State Government’s position, but urged the Federal Government to adopt a political solution to the issues surrounding Nnamdi Kanu.
Ogbonnia noted that prolonged shutdowns had failed to resolve the crisis and only worsened economic conditions in the region.
Security agencies in neighbouring states have also assured residents of adequate measures to prevent any breakdown of law and order as Monday approaches.
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2026-01-31
