Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo has shut down the Onitsha main market for one week due to traders’ continued adherence to the Monday sit-at-home order.
The governor warned that the closure will be extended to one month if the market doesn’t reopen fully by next Monday. Soludo emphasized that traders must comply with government directives, stating that markets should operate from Monday to Friday.
This move follows the Anambra government’s plan to deduct civil servants’ salaries for failing to report to work on Mondays, aiming to end the sit-at-home practice.
The government claims the security situation no longer justifies the closures, and authorities seek to restore economic activities and normal life in the state.
The Monday sit-at-home was initiated by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in 2021 to protest Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest and detention. Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment on November 20, 2025.
