Tension escalated in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Tuesday as traders protested the continued closure of the Onitsha Main Market and adjoining markets, following Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s directive limiting market operations to Mondays.
Security personnel, including soldiers, police officers, and operatives of Operation Udo-Ga-Achi (Agunechemba), were deployed to all entry and exit points of the Main Market from 6:30 a.m., preventing traders from accessing their shops. The closure affected nearby markets such as Marine Market, Biafra Market, Kano Street Market, Sokoto Road Market, William Street Market, and Bida Road Market, which rely on the Main Market for commerce.
Traders attempted to defy the closure but were stopped by armed security, chanting protest songs and urging the governor to lift the ban. Many eventually dispersed after hours of standoff.
Some traders criticized the government’s approach, saying the same security measures were not previously provided to protect traders from attacks during Monday sit-at-home enforcement in past years. Tobechukwu Ezeh described the shutdown as “executive rascality and recklessness,” citing past kidnappings and killings of traders, including the unresolved abduction of a market leader at Obosi’s Old Motor Spare Parts Market in 2025.
A 70-year-old trader, identified as Eugen, blamed weakened collective bargaining among traders on successive state administrations, alleging government interference and internal divisions reduced traders’ influence.
Meanwhile, the Igbo Community Association, Abuja, has urged Governor Soludo to reopen the markets to prevent escalating protests and possible violence. In a statement, President General Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe and Secretary General Mazi Emmanuel Onah warned that prolonged closure could lead to injuries, loss of lives, and property destruction. They commended the governor’s infrastructure and policy efforts but stressed the need for dialogue and respect for citizens’ rights to peaceful protest.
As of press time, security remained tight around Onitsha markets, and traders stayed away amid fears of confrontation, while calls for negotiation and de-escalation continued.
