Onitsha, Anambra – Traders at the Onitsha Main Market staged a protest on Tuesday against the state government’s one-week closure of the market, ordered by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Gatekeepers News reports that the demonstrators marched through major streets in Onitsha, chanting slogans such as “Say no to Monday” and holding placards reading “Show us the law, Soludo.” The protest followed an unscheduled visit by the governor after traders defied the directive to resume full commercial activities on Mondays, part of ongoing efforts to end the long-standing sit-at-home order in the state.
On Monday, Governor Soludo ordered the closure of the market, accusing traders of ignoring the government’s directive and undermining attempts to restore normal economic activity. Speaking during his market visit, Soludo criticized the sit-at-home order for its impact on businesses and livelihoods.
“There is no law anywhere that says markets must close on Mondays. Anambra people cannot continue to punish themselves,” he said.
The governor added that the state government would no longer tolerate what he described as “economic sabotage” disguised as adherence to sit-at-home directives. The closure of Onitsha Main Market forms part of broader measures introduced by the Soludo administration to halt Monday sit-at-home practices across Anambra.
Earlier, the state government also warned civil servants against skipping work on Mondays, with Information Commissioner Law Mefor emphasizing that salaries would be deducted for absenteeism.
“Any civil servant who absents himself or herself from duty on Mondays will face appropriate disciplinary measures, including salary deductions,” Mefor said.
Despite the government’s warnings, traders insisted the closure was unfair and demanded the market be reopened. Security operatives were deployed to monitor the protest, which remained peaceful at the time of reporting.
The Monday sit-at-home in Nigeria’s south-east began in 2021, initiated by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to protest the arrest and detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Residents were expected to stay home and keep businesses closed, especially on days coinciding with Kanu’s court appearances. Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment by a federal high court in Abuja on November 20, 2025.
