The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has announced that his administration will take over the management of Onitsha Main Market.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Last Monday, Soludo visited the market and ordered a one-week closure after traders continued to observe the sit-at-home protest. The closure sparked tension and protests from traders, but the governor remained firm, insisting that the market would remain closed for a week.

Yesterday, Soludo held a closed-door meeting with market leaders at the Light House, Awka, where he presented two options. According to a source at the meeting, the traders opted to reopen on Monday, rejecting the alternative plan of demolishing and remodeling the market.

The options given were:

1. Resume trading on Mondays, while the government reorganises the market, demolishes illegal structures, and creates proper spaces and parking facilities.

2. Continue the Monday sit-at-home, risking demolition of the market and a two-year reconstruction to restore it according to the original master plan.

“The governor emphasised that restoring parking in the Main Market is urgent and that any illegal structures obstructing it will be demolished,” the source said.

The traders chose the first option, agreeing to reopen on Monday and allow the government to remove illegal structures to widen roads and restore parking spaces. A committee will also be set up to recertify all shop occupants to ensure the government knows who is trading in its market.

Soludo reportedly rejected a request to reopen the market on Saturday, insisting that Monday is the only day for resumption, with compliance to be reassessed thereafter.

“The traders have accepted the terms and will reopen on Monday to resume business,” the source added.

Meanwhile, the secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has declared a Biafra-wide solidarity lockdown on Monday in support of Onitsha traders and to demand the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

In a press statement, IPOB’s publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, described the total shutdown as a peaceful, unified response to Soludo’s one-week closure of Onitsha Main Market.

The statement read:

“The Monday sit-at-home originated as a peaceful protest demanding the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, drawing global attention to Biafra’s quest for self-determination. Attempts to label this as ‘economic sabotage’ or ‘criminality’ will fail. Markets have operated during Christmas Mondays without incident, showing that compliance comes from solidarity, not fear.
Soludo’s actions only reveal his desperation to provoke confrontation while Biafra’s international profile rises.
On Monday, February 2, 2026, we call on traders, transporters, banks, schools, civil servants, and all sectors across Anambra, Abia, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, and beyond to observe this strike peacefully. Remain indoors, suspend all commercial and public activities, and show the world our disciplined resolve. This is not disruption for its own sake; it is a stand with Onitsha traders and a reaffirmation that no governor can coerce citizens to abandon their rights or solidarity.”