By Amah
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Tension has escalated across Nigeria’s South-East, following the forced closure of the Onitsha Main Market by the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) declaring a region-wide sit-at-home protest in response.
In a statement, the pro-Biafran group announced a complete shutdown of economic and social activities across Anambra, Abia, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi states on Monday.
IPOB urged traders, transport operators, banks, schools, civil servants and private businesses to comply with what it described as a “solidarity lockdown,” insisting the action should be observed peacefully.
The directive adds fresh strain to a region already grappling with periodic disruptions linked to separatist agitations and enforced or voluntary sit-at-home orders, which have in the past crippled commerce and heightened security concerns.
The immediate trigger for the latest protest is Governor Soludo’s decision to shut down the Onitsha Main Market for one week. The closure followed the governor’s inspection tour of the sprawling commercial hub, during which he expressed deep dissatisfaction with its current state.
The governor lamented that the market, long celebrated as one of the largest in West Africa, had deteriorated significantly, describing it as “a shadow of its former self” and “literally dead.”
According to the Anambra State Government, the closure is intended to pave the way for urgent remodelling and structural reforms aimed at restoring order, safety and functionality to the market. Officials say the intervention is part of a broader urban renewal and economic revitalisation agenda for Onitsha, one of the South-east’s major commercial nerve centres.
However, IPOB has condemned the move, framing it as punitive and harmful to traders whose livelihoods depend on daily market activities. The group’s declaration of a sit-at-home protest has raised fears of economic losses and possible tension, especially given the region’s fragile security and business climate.
As of press time, the South-east governors had yet to issue a joint response to IPOB’s declaration, while residents and business owners weighed the risks of defying or complying with the protest amid memories of past disruptions.
The unfolding situation underscores the delicate balance between state-led reforms and public trust in a region where political decisions often intersect with deep-seated grievances and separatist sentiments.
