Anambra Governor Orders One-Week Closure of Onitsha Main Market Over Sit-at-Home Defiance

Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the immediate closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week following traders’ refusal to open for business on Monday, in defiance of the state’s directive to ignore the weekly sit-at-home order.

The governor announced the shutdown during a visit to the market on Monday, accompanied by aides and security officials. He warned that the closure could be extended by one month if compliance is not achieved upon reopening.

Soludo described the traders’ action as “economic sabotage” and a disregard for government efforts to restore normalcy and security in the state. “The government cannot stand by while a few individuals willfully undermine public safety and disregard official directives meant to restore normalcy,” he stated.

Security forces, including police and army personnel, have been deployed to seal the market premises and enforce the closure.

The shutdown highlights the ongoing tension between the state government and lingering sit-at-home practices, which have disrupted economic activity across the South-East for years. Despite government assurances of safety, many traders continue to observe the Monday lockdown out of caution or fear.

In a related move to curb the sit-at-home trend, the state government recently announced that, starting in February 2026, civil servants’ salaries will be paid pro-rata based on attendance on Mondays.

The Onitsha Main Market is scheduled to reopen next Monday. The response from traders will be closely watched as an indicator of whether government measures can successfully restore regular Monday economic activities in the state.