Soludo Orders One-Week Closure of Onitsha Main Market Over Monday Sit-At-Home Compliance

Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the immediate one-week shutdown of Onitsha Main Market, Africa’s largest commercial hub, after traders observed Monday’s controversial “sit-at-home” directive.

The decisive action, announced Monday during an unannounced visit to the market by the governor and his security team, comes after Soludo had previously declared the Monday sit-at-home order abolished in Anambra State following an executive council retreat on January 21.

The market will remain closed from January 26 through January 31, with reopening scheduled for Monday, February 2, 2026—contingent on full compliance with the state’s directive to resume normal Monday operations.

In a statement disseminated through official channels, Governor Soludo characterized the persistent Monday closures as “economic sabotage” that costs Anambra State approximately ₦8 billion weekly in lost revenue.

“No individual or group has the right to halt the lives and livelihood of our people,” the governor emphasized, warning that similar closures would be enforced across any market in the state that complies with Monday’s sit-at-home directives going forward.

Enforcement and Security Deployment

According to a report by Daily Post, by Tuesday morning, the state government had deployed heavily armed police personnel and armored vehicles to enforce the market’s closure, with security forces stationed at major entry points to prevent traders and customers from accessing the premises.

Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, defended the governor’s action as a necessary measure to protect the state’s economic interests, stating that Soludo “has the right to shut down Onitsha market” when its leadership fails to ensure compliance with lawful directives.

Mixed Public Reactions

The governor’s directive has ignited passionate debate across social media platforms and within communities across Southeast Nigeria. While some residents and business owners have expressed support for the move, citing the devastating impact of weekly market closures on small traders and the broader economy, others have raised concerns about the approach.

Critics, including the Civil Defence and Human Rights Coalition (CDHR), have condemned the closure as heavy-handed, calling for the market’s immediate reopening and urging dialogue over enforcement.

IPOB issued a press statement asserting that the Monday sit-at-home represents “a legal, peaceful civil protest” and a symbolic act of solidarity with detained leader Nnamdi Kanu, arguing that executive orders cannot extinguish legitimate expressions of grievance.

On X (formerly Twitter), reactions have been polarized. Some users praised Soludo’s firm stance on protecting economic activity, while others questioned whether forced market openings without addressing underlying political tensions constitute sustainable solutions. Several commentators noted the complexity of balancing economic imperatives against deeply held political sentiments in the region.

Broader Context

The Monday sit-at-home directive, initially instituted by IPOB several years ago, has remained a contentious feature of life in Southeast Nigeria despite fluctuating levels of compliance. Governor Soludo’s administration has taken increasingly assertive measures to counter the practice, including recent announcements that civil servants absent on Mondays would face pro-rata salary deductions starting February 2026.

As Anambra State navigates this delicate intersection of commerce, security, and political expression, the one-week market closure represents perhaps the most significant enforcement action taken by any Southeastern governor against the sit-at-home phenomenon to date.

With February 2 looming as a critical test of compliance, all eyes remain on whether this approach will restore Monday’s economic activity or deepen existing divisions within the state’s commercial heartland.