The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared a total lockdown of economic activities across the South-East on Monday, February 2, 2026, in protest against the closure of the Onitsha Main Market by the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
In a statement issued on Friday by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, the pro-Biafran group called on traders, transporters, banks, schools, civil servants and businesses across Anambra, Abia, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi states to observe the shutdown peacefully in solidarity with traders affected by the market’s closure.
The declaration came as Governor Soludo ordered the immediate remodelling of the Onitsha Main Market following its one-week closure, citing prolonged economic decline, poor urban planning and the persistent observance of Monday sit-at-home protests as reasons for the drastic action.
Soludo, who recently visited the market, described the once-famous commercial hub as “literally dead,” lamenting that what was once regarded as the biggest market in West Africa had deteriorated into chaos and dysfunction.
Speaking to traders and stakeholders at the Light House, Awka, on Friday, the governor said the market had lost its original design and efficiency due to years of unregulated expansion and lack of planning.
“The Onitsha Main Market, in its current state, is no longer functional. We have done the study. The market is no longer what it was designed to be. It has literally died,” Soludo said.
He recalled that in the late 1970s, the market had wide roads, functional parking spaces and easy access for trucks and shoppers, features he said had since disappeared.
According to Soludo, the economic downturn of the market was worsened by the recurring Monday sit-at-home order linked to IPOB’s agitation, noting that the market had effectively remained shut for more than 260 days since the practice began.
He said the state had lost billions of naira weekly as traders and customers relocated to neighbouring states, adding that decisive action was needed to salvage Anambra’s economy.
“Leadership requires taking inconvenient steps to secure the future. The closure of the market is a corrective measure to reclaim the state’s economic life,” the governor said.
Soludo disclosed that the state government had commissioned international experts in 2023 to design a comprehensive redevelopment plan for the 25-hectare market site, in line with his administration’s vision for planned and sustainable urban markets.
Following the governor’s directive, the Chairman of the Onitsha Main Market, Chief Chijioke Okpalaugo, confirmed that traders had accepted the government’s redevelopment plan, while requesting time to relocate their goods.
Okpalaugo said the traders had agreed to adopt “Option 2” of the government’s proposals, describing it as a difficult but necessary decision for the long-term survival of the market.
“We recognise that leadership requires difficult choices, and we accept this path for the ultimate good of Ndị Anambra and the survival of our iconic market,” he said.
The governor had earlier ordered the one-week closure of the market after traders failed to comply with the state government’s directive to disregard the Monday sit-at-home order. He warned that the closure could be extended if compliance was not achieved, noting that security agencies had sealed the market to enforce the order.
However, IPOB condemned the decision, describing it as punitive and an attack on the livelihoods of traders.
In its statement, the group warned that any attempt to extend the closure, revoke land ownership, demolish shops or impose further sanctions would not be tolerated.
IPOB said the planned shutdown was a “peaceful, voluntary and collective” response to what it described as “tyrannical actions” by the Anambra State government.
The group insisted that the Monday sit-at-home protest was a peaceful campaign demanding the release of its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and accused Soludo of waging “economic warfare” against traders.
“Soludo’s war on Onitsha traders is a war on all Biafrans. Touch one, touch all,” the statement said.
Despite the tension, the Anambra State Government has maintained that the market’s closure and redevelopment are necessary to restore economic vitality and modernise commercial infrastructure in the state.
