Tension flared at the Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State on Tuesday as thousands of traders staged protests against Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s directive ordering the closure of the market for one week over continued observance of Monday sit-at-home.
The protest followed the early-morning deployment of hundreds of security personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS). The operatives barricaded major entrances to the market, preventing traders from accessing their shops.
Videos circulating on social media showed large crowds of traders marching through the area, chanting slogans and carrying placards while demanding the withdrawal of security operatives and the immediate reopening of the market. In some clips, protesters were seen fleeing amid what appeared to be sporadic gunfire as security personnel attempted to disperse the crowd.
In one video, a male voice was heard warning that Governor Soludo should be held responsible if any lives were lost during the protest. The speaker criticised the government’s approach to enforcing Monday business activities and linked the sit-at-home issue to the continued detention of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Several traders accused the governor of punishing innocent business owners and alleged that the decision was taken under pressure from the Federal Government. Some said many shop owners had travelled outside the state or abroad to procure goods and should not be penalised for their absence.
Others questioned the effectiveness of the policy, arguing that the Monday sit-at-home had evolved beyond the control of state authorities. One trader said some residents now use Mondays as a rest day due to the intensity of business activities during the week, describing the practice as having become routine for many.
The protest comes a day after Governor Soludo ordered the immediate closure of the Onitsha Main Market following an unscheduled visit on Monday, January 26, 2026. During the visit, the governor observed that many traders failed to open for business despite repeated directives mandating full commercial activities on Mondays.
The Anambra State Government has officially abolished the sit-at-home practice as part of efforts to restore normalcy and revive economic activities. Soludo reportedly described the continued closure of markets on Mondays as a deliberate attempt to undermine the state’s economy and warned that any market or shop that remains closed would be sealed for one week, with repeat violations attracting stiffer sanctions.
A senior government official said the shutdown of the Onitsha Main Market was intended to enforce compliance and prevent economic losses, noting that the state loses significant revenue every Monday due to the sit-at-home.
The government has also warned that civil servants, schools and other institutions that fail to comply with Monday resumption directives may face sanctions, including salary deductions and administrative penalties.
However, many traders expressed concern that the one-week market closure would worsen their economic hardship, saying it would deprive them of income needed for basic needs and school fees.
As security operatives maintain a heavy presence around the market, uncertainty persists over the situation at Africa’s largest open-air market, while broader debates over sit-at-home, insecurity and political grievances in the South-East continue.
