IPOB Condemns Governor's Closure of Onitsha Market Amid Sit-at-Home Dispute

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) criticized Anambra State Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo for shutting down Onitsha Main Market following traders' refusal to resume business activities after a sit-at-home directive. Governor Soludo ordered the closure after traders and market leaders kept their shops locked despite government appeals.

The sit-at-home order in Anambra State has reportedly cost the state 8 billion naira weekly, affecting the economy and social activities in the South-East region. Soludo described the traders' actions as economic sabotage and warned of consequences if compliance was not achieved.

IPOB's spokesperson, Emma Powerful, expressed disappointment over the market shutdown and urged traders to ignore the order to return to the market, emphasizing peaceful resistance against perceived injustices. Meanwhile, Governor Soludo maintained that the closure was part of measures to reclaim public space and restore economic normalcy, insisting that traders must comply or relocate elsewhere.