IPOB Orders Onitsha Main Market Traders to Open as Tension Mounts Over Soludo’s Shutdown Directive

A fresh wave of tension has emerged in Anambra State following a directive by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) urging traders at the Onitsha Main Market to resume business activities on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, in spite of a one-week closure order imposed by Governor Chukwuma Soludo. The development has further deepened the long-running standoff between the Anambra State Government, separatist agitators, and traders caught in the middle of competing authorities and persistent insecurity fears.

Earlier on Monday, Governor Soludo ordered the immediate closure of the Onitsha Main Market, one of the largest commercial hubs in West Africa, after many traders failed to comply with the state government’s directive to resume normal business activities on Mondays. The governor issued the order during an on-the-spot assessment visit to the market, accompanied by senior government officials and security operatives. According to him, the continued observance of the Monday sit-at-home order, despite repeated assurances of improved security, was unacceptable and economically damaging to the state.

Soludo warned that the market closure could be extended beyond one week if traders continued to defy government directives. He added that security agencies had already sealed the market to ensure full enforcement of the shutdown. The governor described the situation as part of a broader struggle to reclaim economic normalcy in the South-East, arguing that fear-induced closures were crippling livelihoods and undermining public authority.

However, IPOB swiftly reacted to the government’s action, rejecting Soludo’s order and instructing traders to reopen their shops. In a statement released late Monday, IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, declared that traders in Anambra State should resume their legitimate businesses without fear, insisting that the closure order violated their fundamental rights. According to IPOB, neither the Anambra State Government nor any other government entity established or funded the traders’ businesses, and therefore lacked the moral authority to shut them down.

Powerful stressed that IPOB’s directive was not an act of defiance against the state government but an affirmation of what he described as the “God-given right” of the people to earn a living according to their needs and choices. He argued that traders received no government support during previous economic disruptions, including the COVID-19 lockdowns, and had survived purely through resilience and self-determination.

The IPOB statement went further to frame the situation within a broader historical and political narrative. It referenced the Nigeria-Biafra civil war, describing the Igbo people as historically resilient and entrepreneurial, capable of surviving extreme hardship. Powerful also reiterated IPOB’s long-standing demand for the unconditional release of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, asserting that his continued detention was the root cause of instability and fear in the South-East.

In a strongly worded warning, IPOB cautioned Governor Soludo against deploying security forces to enforce the market closure, claiming that any arrests, harassment, or bloodshed would have serious consequences. While stating that the group was not seeking confrontation with the Anambra State Government, IPOB insisted that it would resist any attempt to suppress what it described as the collective will of the people.

“The Federal Government must heed this call and release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu without further delay to restore peace and normalcy in the South-East,” the statement concluded, declaring that no force could prevent markets from opening.

The directive has sparked intense reactions among residents and observers. Supporters of IPOB accused the governor of acting inconsistently, claiming that markets are often shut down for political campaigns, yet traders are punished when they independently choose not to open due to fear. Critics of the state government also questioned the wisdom of enforcing economic activity through coercion rather than confidence-building measures.

On the other hand, supporters of Governor Soludo argue that a functioning economy cannot exist under constant threats and unofficial orders. They insist that the state has a responsibility to enforce law and order and prevent non-state actors from dictating economic life in Anambra.

As of now, uncertainty hangs over Onitsha Main Market, with traders facing a difficult choice between complying with the state government’s closure order or heeding IPOB’s call to reopen. The situation underscores the fragile balance of authority in the South-East and highlights the urgent need for a lasting political and security solution to restore confidence, protect livelihoods, and prevent further escalation.