Tensions as Traders Protest Onitsha Market Closure, Chant Pro-Kanu Slogans
Emotions ran high Tuesday morning outside the barricaded gates of Onitsha Main Market as hundreds of traders gathered to protest Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s unprecedented one-week shutdown order, with some demonstrators breaking into chants that drew sharp criticism from religious and civic leaders.
The protest erupted hours after security forces sealed all major entrances to Africa’s largest open-air market following Monday’s widespread compliance with the controversial “sit-at-home” directive.
As traders assembled near Ose Market junction, videos circulating on social media captured a segment of the crowd singing modified religious hymns with lyrics proclaiming “Holy, Holy, Holy—Nnamdi Kanu is another savior,” a phrase that quickly ignited fierce debate across Nigeria’s digital landscape.
Protest Dynamics and Divided Reactions
While some traders carried placards demanding “Show me the law” and questioning the governor’s authority to close a privately owned commercial space, others expressed frustration over lost income.
“I have three children to feed,” said Grace Okafor, a 42-year-old textile trader who joined the demonstration but distanced herself from the religious chants. “But calling any human being a savior? That crosses a line my faith won’t allow.”
Religious leaders swiftly condemned the rhetoric. Reverend Father Emeka Nwosu of St. Charles Catholic Church in Onitsha described the chants as “theologically dangerous and politically inflammatory,” emphasizing that “salvation belongs to God alone—a truth every Christian and Muslim in this state holds sacred.”
The Anambra State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress called for calm while acknowledging traders’ legitimate economic grievances.
ALSO READ: Soludo Orders One-Week Closure of Onitsha Main Market Over Monday Sit-At-Home Compliance
Government Response and Security Posture
According to Premium Times, Governor Soludo’s media aide, Dr. Paul Nnamani, issued a statement Tuesday afternoon characterizing the protest as “orchestrated by a vocal minority” and reaffirming the administration’s position that weekly Monday closures constitute economic sabotage costing the state approximately ₦8 billion in lost revenue.
Security operatives maintained a heavy presence around the market perimeter, with no reports of violence despite heightened tensions.
The governor’s office reiterated that the market would remain closed through Saturday, January 31, with reopening contingent on full compliance with the directive to resume operations on Monday, beginning February 2.
Officials emphasized that similar shutdowns would be enforced across any Anambra market that observes future Monday closures.
Broader Context and Legal Questions
The protest unfolds against a complex backdrop: IPOB remains a proscribed organization under Nigeria’s Terrorism Prevention Act, and its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, faces multiple charges, including terrorism and treasonable felony, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Legal experts note that while citizens retain rights to peaceful protest, publicly venerating a figure associated with a banned organization could carry legal implications under current Nigerian law.
Civil society groups have called for dialogue rather than confrontation.
“Traders’ livelihoods matter, but so does the rule of law,” said Chidi Odinkalu, a human rights advocate based in Lagos. “The solution isn’t shutting markets or deifying political figures—it’s addressing the underlying grievances through legitimate channels.”
As dusk fell over Onitsha, protesters gradually dispersed, but the chants echoing through market corridors have left deeper questions about the intersection of faith, politics, and economic survival in Southeast Nigeria—questions that neither market closures nor protest songs alone can resolve.