Onitsha Main Market, Anambra State’s largest commercial hub, reopened on Monday following a one-week closure ordered by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
The market had been shut after traders largely complied with the Indigenous People of Biafra’s (IPOB) Monday sit-at-home order, despite repeated government warnings against observing directives from non-state actors.
Governor Soludo had stressed that prolonged closure could trigger further sanctions and emphasized the need to restore economic activity and normalcy.
By 8:45 a.m., traders began returning to their shops along major corridors, including Egerton Road, Ose Foodstuff Market, The Young Park, Emeka Offor Plaza, Sokoto Road, Lagos Line, and Marine, while customers were seen patronizing stalls, signaling a resumption of business as usual.
The reopening coincided with heightened security presence across the market and surrounding areas. The Anambra State Police Command warned residents and business owners to ignore threats and misinformation spread on social media by non-state actors. “The Police Command has identified a deliberate pattern of coordinated social media posts by some non-state actors aimed at spreading fear, misinformation, and bigotry,” the police said in a statement.
Although IPOB reportedly called for a lockdown across the South-East in solidarity with traders, the group’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, dismissed the directive as fake, emphasizing that IPOB had long renounced sit-at-home orders. He urged the public to resume normal activities.
The police assured residents of intensified patrols, intelligence-led surveillance, and robust security operations to safeguard lives and property. The government reiterated its commitment to protecting traders and the public as commercial activities resumed at Onitsha Main Market.
Elijah Adeyemi
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