The ongoing war of wits between the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo over compliance to the Mondays-only sit-at-home exercise in the multi-billion Naira Onitsha Main Market reached a new high today.
Caught in the crosshairs of the gladiators are traders in the market, who allegedly defied the governor’s orders to disobey the sit-at-home directive allegedly given by IPOB.
Apparently slighted by the traders’ action, but citing damage to the state’s economy, Soludo today gave the traders two weeks to relocate elsewhere. He went ahead to mark for demolition over 10,000 shops which were not open for business.
After several past warnings, the governor had earlier handed down a warning that the state government would demolish the massive iconic Eastern commercial facility, if the traders continued to comply with the order. He even shut down the market for about a week, before reopening it.
However, today, IPOB claimed victory as the body, in a press statement, noted what it described as “total compliance” with Monday’s sit-at-home order in parts of the South-East.
The pro-Biafra agitators stated that the development demonstrated that the people will never be intimidated into abandoning the group’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, serving life imprisonment in Sokoto Correctional Facility for treason-related charges.
On 20 November, 2025, a Federal High Court presided over by Justice James Omotosho had sentenced the IPOB leader, after finding him guilty of seven counts of terrorism, financing, and treasonable felony.
Although the Onitsha Main Market was reopened by the government after a one-week closure, very few traders turned up today,citing lack of transportation and banking facilities which were shut down due to the sit-at-home exercise.
Also, major roads in Anambra state were deserted, and most offices and other businesses remained shut, particularly in the morning hours. It was also observed that many schools did not open, Daily Post reports.
According to the newspaper, reacting to the development, IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, who said the sit-at-home recorded a “total compliance across Biafraland”, hailed residents of the South-East for demonstrating love for Kanu.
Powerful asserted that the outcome of today’s sit-at-home has shown that the people have resolved to resist all forms of intimidation and coercion in their demand for Kanu’s release from detention.
“The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) confirms total and overwhelming compliance with the sit-at-home directive issued across Biafraland. This historic show of unity has once again demonstrated that the deep love, loyalty, and resolve of the Biafran people toward Mazi Nnamdi Kanu cannot be broken by threats, intimidation, or state-sponsored coercion.
“From Omambala to Onitsha and across the South-East, the people have spoken with one voice. The land of Eri, Nri, Igbo-Ukwu, and Uzo-Igbo has reaffirmed its historic role as the conscience and backbone of the Igbo nation. Our people are born free—and will not submit to fear.
“This peaceful but firm compliance is a clear message: the Biafran people will not be forced to abandon their leader or betray their collective will. The love for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not a weakness to be envied or attacked—it is a strength that binds our people and fuels our lawful demand for justice and freedom.
“IPOB remains committed to order, discipline, and respect for institutions, but we will resist every attempt to intimidate, humiliate, or enslave our people. The continued illegal detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu only reinforces the legitimacy of this resistance.
“Biafraland has spoken. The world is watching. And the resolve of our people remains unshaken,” the statement read.
Soludo Gives Two Weeks To Traders To Relocate, Marks Over 10,000 Shops For Demolition
In apparent reaction to the developments on ground, Gov. Soludo issued a 14-day ultimatum to traders in Onitsha Main Market to move as he marked no fewer than 10,000 shops for demolition in the market, Sahara Reporters further reports.
It added that the governor issued the order amid controversy over his closure of the market for one week on Monday, January 26, over traders’ continued observance of the sit-at-home, despite repeated government directives abolishing the practice.
Soludo ordered the closure of the market during an unscheduled visit to the market, where he observed that a significant number of shops remained shut in defiance of the state government’s order lifting the sit-at-home.
The governor had described the persistent closure of businesses on Mondays as unacceptable and warned that the government would no longer tolerate actions capable of undermining economic activities and public order in the state.
Today, traders at the Onitsha Main Market partially complied with the governor order to shun the sit-at-home practice.
However, the paper reported the traders as lamenting that they came to their shops only to find out that over 10,000 shops have been marked for demolition in the market, with a 14-day deadline for them to move out.
It quoted a trader, identified as Uzochukwu Joseph Okoye, who owns a clothing shop at the market, as saying: “I opened today. I opened last Monday, but the market is not filled like last Monday.”
Asked about the situation at the market, he said: “The situation is that we came this morning and saw a lot of paints in our shops that we should move in 14 days. But that 14 days is too short. We cannot do anything within 14 days.
“A lot of people are in the market, ready to trade despite the fact is that we do not see customers. Even when we were coming, transportation was also an issue.
“I’m pleading with the governor to also work on transportation and banks so that everywhere will operate fully on Mondays. This morning, some banks were not open, and some transportation companies are not operating.”
He noted that finding commercial tricycles and buses was a problem, making it almost impossible for traders to go to their shops.
On why their shops are marked for demolition, Okoye said that Gov. Soludo is complaining that the Onitsha Main Market has been messed up, hence the need for the demolition.
“But we, the traders know that before developers built these shops, they got approval from the state government, and the government gave them the standard approval of the shops to build.
“After building, the developers sold them to us, and we have been paying tax to the government. Now the governor marks all these shops as bad. He marked more than 10,000 shops, saying that those more than 10,000 shops should be removed.”
Okoye lamented that the most painful part of the planned demolition is that the government could not provide an alternative for them.
Pleading with the governor to be patient with the traders, Okoye said: “If it is about Monday business, I’m sure that within two weeks, Main Market will be in full operation. Business will be booming and everything will be working normally.
“We are even tired of staying at home but the challenges are transportation, banks and other things, which the government has promised to provide adequate security for us.”
He noted that what traders are asking is more time like one year for them to trade throughout this year, “then by January 2027, Soludo still has up to three years in office, he can start building whatever he wants to build.”
He said the traders need enough time to look for alternative shops elsewhere, noting that Onitsha Main Market is already filled up with not even a quarter shop space available.
“The governor marked more than 10,000 shops for demolition, and if you calculate the over 10,000 shop by their families, you will have about 50,000 families who will be stranded.
“That is not normal. How can those stranded families feed? How can they pay school fees? Many people’s blood pressure is already high. I took three people to the hospital this morning because of this issue before coming to the shop.”
He stressed: “Two weeks is too short. We cannot do anything for two weeks. Let the governor give at least one year so we can plan our lives. We also mean well for Anambra State.”
*PHOTO CAPTION: Onitsha Main Market.
