IPOB Orders Onitsha Traders to Reopen Shops Despite Soludo’s Market Shutdown

IPOB Orders Onitsha Traders to Reopen Shops Despite Soludo’s Market Shutdown

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has directed traders at Onitsha Main Market to reopen their shops, defying Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s closure order. The directive comes amid ongoing tensions over the weekly sit-at-home order promoted by IPOB in protest of the continued detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

Governor Soludo had earlier ordered the one-week closure of Onitsha Main Market after traders ignored previous government directives to resume operations. He warned that continued defiance could lead to extended market shutdowns and other punitive actions, emphasizing that persistent market closures threaten the state’s economic stability.

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In response, IPOB has urged residents and traders to ignore the government’s threats, framing the sit-at-home as a civil rights exercise rather than an act of defiance. Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, speaking on behalf of Kanu’s legal team, stressed that no executive order can end the sit-at-home until the release of Nnamdi Kanu.

Security officials have been deployed around the market to monitor compliance, raising tensions as traders weigh the risk of fines or shop closures against supporting the IPOB call. Analysts note that the ongoing standoff threatens billions of Naira in economic activity in Anambra State and the wider South-East region.

As the standoff continues, both IPOB and the Anambra State Government are under pressure to find a resolution that balances economic recovery with political activism.

IPOB Orders Onitsha Traders to Reopen Shops Despite Soludo’s Market Shutdown