Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has directed the immediate reopening of the Onitsha Main Market on Monday, February 2, 2026, for full commercial activities, declaring that the one-week closure imposed due to traders' compliance with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Monday sit-at-home order has now lapsed.
In a statement issued through Commissioner for Information Law Mefor, the government affirmed there is no longer any sit-at-home on Mondays in Anambra State and assured traders of adequate security deployment to ensure normal operations.
This comes amid a fresh sit-at-home directive from IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful, calling for a regional shutdown on the same day in solidarity with Onitsha traders affected by the prior closure and in protest against perceived punitive measures.
Soludo's administration has consistently rejected the IPOB-enforced order as economically crippling and criminal, urging residents to disregard it while warning of stricter enforcement against future non-compliance.
The development heightens tension ahead of Monday, with conflicting directives from the state government and IPOB potentially testing trader participation and public safety in the bustling commercial hub.
