The Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the reopening of the Onitsha Main Market on Monday, February 2, 2026, for full economic and commercial activities.
The directive followed the expiration of a one-week closure earlier imposed by the state government after traders failed to comply with the directive to ignore the Monday sit-at-home order enforced by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra.
Governor Soludo gave the order during an on-the-spot assessment of the market, which he undertook alongside top government officials and security personnel.
The governor had ordered the temporary shutdown of the commercial hub after observing continued compliance by traders with the sit-at-home order, despite repeated assurances by the government and security agencies that the restriction had been lifted.
Soludo warned at the time that the closure could be extended if traders failed to resume business activities on Mondays, adding that security agencies were deployed to seal the market to enforce the decision.
The closure sparked protests in Onitsha, as traders took to major streets in the commercial city, demanding the immediate reopening of the market.
Videos circulating on social media showed traders marching with placards and chanting solidarity songs as they protested what they described as the disruption of their means of livelihood.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, confirmed that the one-week closure had elapsed and directed traders to return to business.
“This is to inform the general public that the closure of Onitsha Main Market, ordered by Mr Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, lapses this weekend,” the statement read.
“Accordingly, all traders are hereby directed to resume business as usual on Monday, February 2, 2026, as there is no longer any form of sit-at-home on Mondays in Anambra State.”
Mefor urged traders and residents to disregard threats from non-state actors, assuring them of adequate security across the state.
“Ndị Anambra and residents are assured of adequate security and are encouraged to report any security concerns to 5111,” he said.
The commissioner also reminded civil servants and teachers that the state’s pro-rata salary policy remains in force.
“Meanwhile, civil servants and teachers are reminded that the pro-rata salary system remains in force, no work on Monday, no pay,” the statement added.
Parents were also advised to ensure their children attend school on Mondays to avoid sanctions.
Meanwhile, a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra has declared a one-day sit-at-home across the South-East on Monday, February 2.
In a statement issued on Friday, the group’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, said the directive was in protest against the closure of the Onitsha Main Market by Governor Soludo.
“The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), under the resolute and prophetic leadership of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, hereby declares a Biafra-wide solidarity strike, a complete lockdown of all economic activities across Igboland and wider Biafran territories, on Monday, 2 February 2026,” he said.
Powerful described the governor’s action as “tyrannical,” insisting that the sit-at-home was a voluntary protest.
“This strike is not enforcement; it is a voluntary, collective expression of outrage and solidarity with the hardworking traders of Onitsha, whose livelihoods are now under direct assault by a governor who has chosen to act as an enforcer for anti-Biafran interests rather than a servant of his people,” he stated.
The IPOB directive has reportedly triggered fresh anxiety across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states over the safety of lives and property.
In Anambra, however, the Police Command said it was fully prepared to maintain law and order.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, said earlier attacks on security operatives and government facilities were carried out by criminal elements seeking to instil fear among residents.
According to the police, “the state government, in collaboration with Ndi Anambra, has now resolved to correct harmful practices arising from the security situation, including the illegal sit-at-home and closure of markets on Mondays.”
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