IPOB Condemns Soludo Over Security Crackdown On Onitsha Market Protesters

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly criticized Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, for deploying security forces against traders protesting the closure of the Onitsha Main Market.

In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB denounced the use of military and police personnel on Tuesday, alleging that live ammunition was fired at unarmed civilians. The group called the action a violation of democratic norms and human rights.

The protest erupted after Governor Soludo’s one-week shutdown of the iconic market took effect. The closure was ordered following the governor’s unscheduled visit on Monday, which revealed that most traders had again observed the weekly sit-at-home, defying government directives to resume Monday business activities.

Hundreds of security personnel from the police, army, NSCDC, and DSS barricaded the market, preventing traders from entering. Videos showed armed operatives turning back individuals at strategic points.

IPOB accused the governor of acting as a tool of the federal government and warned that such force risks escalating insecurity in the state. “This is not governance; it is state-sponsored terrorism,” the statement read, urging human rights groups and the international community to intervene.

The Anambra State Government has maintained that the closure is a necessary step to enforce the law and reactivate the economy, which it says loses billions every Monday. A government official stated the action was about “ensuring our economy functions optimally,” not witch-hunting.

Traders, however, have expressed anger, accusing the governor of punishing them and worsening their economic hardship. IPOB, reiterating its commitment to peaceful self-determination, called for dialogue and the release of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.