Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has directed the closure of the Onitsha main market for one week after traders continued to observe the Monday sit-at-home directive.
The governor issued the order during an unscheduled inspection of the market on Monday, where he found a significant number of shops locked. Soludo warned that if traders fail to reopen the market by next Monday, the closure could be extended to a month.
“We are going to cordon this whole place off for the first one week. If we come on Monday and it’s locked, we are going to lock the market for one month,” he stated.
Soludo emphasised that anyone wishing to trade in Anambra must adhere to state regulations, noting that markets are expected to operate from Monday to Friday. “If you want to do business, you come; if not, you can go home. Anambra is open to everybody, but if you must trade here, you must abide by the rules,” he said.
The directive follows a recent announcement by the state government that civil servants who fail to report for work on Mondays would face salary deductions. Authorities argue that the current security situation no longer justifies widespread Monday closures and have warned that continued absenteeism will attract sanctions.
The Monday sit-at-home, enforced in parts of Nigeria’s south-east since 2021, was initiated by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to protest the arrest and detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by a federal high court in Abuja on 20 November 2025.
