As Soludo Warns Traders To Steer Away From Market Till Next Monday
Trouble is currently brewing in Anambra state following counter orders between Governor Charles Soludo and the Indigenous People Of Biafra IPOB over the closure of the Onitsha main market.
Soludo had on Monday morning ordered the closure of the market for one week as consequences of not opening shops as against the order that all markets must open for business irrespective of the sit at home order by IPOB .
But in a counter order by the separatists group signed by its spokesman Comerade Emma Powerful the group has directed trader in Anambra state to open their shops including the Onitsha main market.
Soludo had in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information Dr Law Mefor warned the traders at Onitsha main market to seer clear from the market until next Monday February 2nd when the market would be opened insisting that should the traders fail to open shops on the said day the market would be closed for one month.
“The Government of Anambra State hereby informs the general public that Onitsha Main Market will remain closed from today, Monday, January 26, 2026, to Saturday, January 31, 2026. The market will reopen for business on Monday, February 2, 2026.”
“The closure is due to non-compliance with the government’s directive to end the Monday Sit-at-Home, which costs the state up to N8 billion as part of N19.6 billion in the South East every week, while disrupting work and economic activities”
“Traders are further warned that if they are not ready to resume trading on Monday, February 2, 2026, and indeed every other Monday, the market will face a one-month closure next Monday”.
“The general public is also advised to stay away from the Main Market during this period to avoid any unpleasant encounters with security personnel already deployed to the area”
“Furthermore, all other markets in Anambra State remain open and are expected to operate on Mondays. Any market found closed on Mondays will face a similar closure”
“The government assures traders and citizens alike of maximum security and encourages them to report security breaches to 5111” the statement read.
According to the statement of IPOB however, it stated that the order to traders to open their shops this Tuesday is not in defiance to the orders of Soludo but in exercise of God gives right to pursue their daily livelihood contending that no government funds the business of individual traders in Igbo land.
“The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) hereby declares that tomorrow, January 27, 2026, our people in Anambra State shall resume their legitimate business activities and open their shops and markets”
“This action is not in defiance of any gubernatorial order but in the exercise of their God-given right to pursue their daily livelihoods according to their preferences and necessities”
“Governor Charles Soludo must understand that no government entity established or funded the businesses of our industrious Igbo entrepreneurs”
“During the COVID-19 lockdowns, no state support was extended to them”
“Our people endured a three-year food blockade during the Nigeria-Biafra War and emerged as the most entrepreneurial ethnic group in Africa, as well as the most successful immigrant community in the United States.”
“Our fathers liberated Nigeria from colonial rule, our ancestors liberated Haiti from colonial oppression, and in the creeks of Savannah, Georgia, we Igbos chose death over enslavement—a legacy chronicled in Alex Haley’s “Roots,” where our ancestors from Onitsha drowned themselves rather than submit to man-made slavery and bondage”
IPOB also boasted that Governor Charles Soludo cannot defeat the collective spirit of resistance as they have chosen death before life .
“We have always chosen death over dishonor. Governor Soludo, you cannot defeat our collective spirit of resistance, history teaches us that”
It advised Soludo to before embarking on any perilous path tomorrow, such as deploying Northern soldiers from the Onitsha barracks to infringe upon our rights to conduct business as we deem fit, must carefully weigh the consequences.
“Any arrests, harassment, or bloodshed will signal the beginning of the end for those who oppose the will of the people”
“IPOB seeks no confrontation with the Governor or the Anambra State Government, but we demand respect for the wishes of the masses”
“Tomorrow, our markets shall open, and no force on earth can prevent it. We warn that any attempt to obstruct this will invite grave danger upon the enemies of Biafra’s emancipation”
“The Federal Government of Nigeria must heed this call and release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu without further delay to restore peace and normalcy in the Southeast”the body stated .
