Governor Soludo Shuts Down Onitsha Main Market For One Week Over Sit-At-Home Defiance

Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has mandated an immediate one-week closure of Onitsha Main Market and surrounding markets as an initial measure to enforce the state’s stance against the contentious Monday sit-at-home directive.

Law enforcement agencies, including police and military units, were promptly dispatched to secure market entrances and ensure the shutdown is implemented.

This decision comes after persistent non-compliance by merchants at the well-known Onitsha markets, who have continued to keep their businesses closed on Mondays despite government instructions and cautions to ignore the sit-at-home directive enforced by non-state actors.

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The directive, which has been active for approximately four years, has interfered with economic and social operations throughout the South-East region and has faced public criticism from the Soludo government.

State authorities had encouraged citizens to carry out their legitimate activities without apprehension and to reject the unlawful directive, which officials characterize as an economic sabotage on the region.

Governor Soludo stated that should merchants not resume operations when the one-week closure ends, the market would face another week-long shutdown, followed by progressively extended closure periods.

He emphasized that the closure was a necessary step to send the appropriate signals, protect law-abiding citizens and reinforce the authority of the state.

According to him, the government cannot stand by while a few individuals willfully undermine public safety and disregard official directives meant to restore normalcy.