Soludo Enforces One-Week Shutdown: Security Seals Off Onitsha Main Market as Defiant Traders Gather Outside
Onitsha, Anambra State – Heavy security presence dominated the iconic Onitsha Main Market on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, as operatives cordoned off entrances and enforced Governor Chukwuma Soludo's one-week closure order. The directive, issued the previous day during an unscheduled visit by the governor, punishes traders for defying the state government's repeated calls to ignore the lingering Monday sit-at-home practice. Many shops remained locked on Monday, prompting Soludo to describe the observance as "protracted economic sabotage cloaked as sit-at-home." A joint task force comprising police, Nigerian Army personnel, and other agencies swiftly sealed major gates, turning away traders attempting to access their stalls. Eyewitnesses reported groups of traders gathering outside the perimeter, watching security operations unfold while unable to enter. The atmosphere was tense but no major incidents were reported. Governor Soludo, who warned during his visit that furt...