Onitsha Traders Protest Soludo’s Market Shutdown Over Sit-at-Home
Thousands of traders at Onitsha Main Market on Tuesday, January 27, erupted in protest after the Anambra State government ordered the sudden closure of the commercial hub, following Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s threat to shut markets for weeks if business owners continued observing the voluntary Monday sit-at-home in solidarity with detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The shutdown, which came without a clear legal order, was widely condemned by Nigerians who described it as unlawful, oppressive, and economically destructive.
Security operatives were reportedly deployed to the market in the early hours of the morning, blocking traders from accessing their shops before many could even arrive.
This action fueled anger among business owners who insist they have the constitutional right to decide when to open or close their businesses.
Protesters gathered in large numbers, chanting solidarity songs in honor of Nnamdi Kanu, including “Holy, holy, Nnamdi Kanu is another saviour,” while openly challenging the governor with the slogan, “Soludo, show me the law!”
Many traders argued that the Monday sit-at-home has remained a voluntary civil action, not enforced by them through violence.
They accused the state government of punishing innocent citizens instead of addressing insecurity and economic hardship. According to several protesters, forcing markets to open under threat of closure amounts to an abuse of executive power.
Anger also centered on what many described as lies and growing lawlessness in the state.
Protesters stated that Governor Soludo had previously blamed members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for violence linked to sit-at-home enforcement, but now appeared to be openly using state power to enforce sit-at-home through violence.
To them, the market shutdown represented the same coercion it blamed on IPOB, only now being carried out by the government itself because they failed to pin the crimes on the movement.
“This is our livelihood,” one trader said. “If we choose to stay home on Mondays, that is our right. The governor has no law backing this lockup. He is destroying businesses while claiming to protect the economy.”
Others insisted the governor’s approach has worsened tensions rather than calming them, noting that economic pressure on traders only deepens public resentment. Many accused the government of trying to break solidarity for Nnamdi Kanu through intimidation instead of lawful engagement.
As the protest grew, traffic around the market area slowed, with thousands of voices demanding the immediate reopening of shops and respect for civil rights. The crowd maintained that no democratic government should shut down private businesses without court orders or clear legal authority.
The Onitsha Main Market shutdown now stands as a flashpoint in Anambra State’s ongoing struggle between government lawlessness and popular civil resistance.
For many traders, it symbolizes a dangerous shift toward executive force over the rule of law, raising serious questions about economic freedom, governance, and accountability in the state.
