The blockade effectively cut off movement into and out of Onitsha, grounding traffic and commercial activities along the busy corridor that links Anambra to neighbouring states.
Protests against Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, entered a second day on Wednesday as traders at the Onitsha Main Market, joined by residents, blocked the Onitsha Head Bridge in opposition to the one-week shutdown of the market over continued observance of Monday sit-at-home.
The blockade effectively cut off movement into and out of Onitsha, grounding traffic and commercial activities along the busy corridor that links Anambra to neighbouring states.
Video clips seen by SaharaReporters on Wednesday, show thousands of residents taking over the roads leading to the Onitsha Head Bridge in their numbers.
In one of the video clips, one of the protesters was overheard saying; "Head Bridge in Onitsha is completely blocked. Let's see how many people Soludo and his government will kill. We have blocked the Head Bridge and since he wants to shutdown our businesses, let also shut down the state."
The renewed demonstrations come a day after SaharaReporters reported rising tension in Onitsha following the deployment of heavy security operatives who barricaded all entrances to the Main Market to enforce the governor’s directive.
On Tuesday, thousands of traders poured into the streets after security personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) prevented access to the sprawling commercial hub.
Videos circulating on social media showed large crowds of traders chanting and carrying placards demanding the reopening of the market and the withdrawal of security operatives. In some clips, protesters were seen fleeing amid what appeared to be sporadic gunfire by security agents attempting to disperse the crowd.
In one of the videos, a male voice was heard shouting, “If anyone is killed today, Governor Soludo should bear the responsibility. You cannot force people to come to the market on a particular day. If he wants to solve the sit-at-home issue, he should go and release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Why are South-East politicians always looking for opportunities to destroy Igbo youths?”
Several traders accused the governor of punishing innocent business owners and acting under pressure from the Federal Government.
“You cannot tell me when to open my shop or not,” a trader said. “Some shop owners travelled to Lagos, some even went overseas to buy goods. Why should everybody be punished for travelling to procure goods for their businesses?”
Another trader argued that the sit-at-home phenomenon had gone beyond the control of the state government.
“The issue of Monday sit-at-home is bigger than Governor Soludo,” he said. “Some people now use Mondays to rest from the long week of business. There is no other real rest day again. Sit-at-home has even become a blessing in disguise because Sundays are now filled with church activities and family meetings.”
He further alleged political motives behind the enforcement drive.
“The governor and his fellow stooges in the South-East are all in support of the imprisonment of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu because they see him as a threat to their political ambitions,” the trader claimed.
The protests were triggered by Governor Soludo’s order on Monday, January 26, 2026, directing the immediate closure of Onitsha Main Market after an unscheduled visit during which he observed that most traders failed to open their shops, despite government directives mandating full commercial activities on Mondays.
The sit-at-home practice, initially linked to separatist agitation and demands for the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has been officially abolished by the Anambra State Government as part of efforts to restore normalcy and revive economic activities.
During the visit, Soludo reportedly described the continued closure of markets on Mondays as “deliberate sabotage of the state’s economy” and warned that any market, shop or plaza that remains shut on that day would be sealed.
“Any market, shop or plaza that refuses to open on Mondays will be shut for one week, and repeated violations will attract stiffer sanctions,” the governor was quoted as saying.
A senior government official said the shutdown of the Onitsha Main Market was meant to send a strong message.
“This is not about witch-hunting anybody. It is about enforcing the law and ensuring that our economy functions optimally,” the official said. “Anambra cannot continue to lose billions of naira every Monday.”
The state government has also warned that civil servants, schools and other institutions that fail to comply with Monday resumption directives may face sanctions, including salary deductions and administrative penalties.
Traders, however, fear that the closure will worsen their economic hardship.
“We are suffering already,” a female trader said. “Closing the market for one week means no income, no food, no school fees. Government should find a better way to address this problem.
As security operatives maintain a heavy presence around the market and other strategic locations in Onitsha, tension remains high, with uncertainty hanging over Africa’s largest open-air market and the broader effort to end sit-at-home in the South-East.