Tension gripped Anambra StateAnambra State on Sunday as Governor Chukwuma Soludo ordered the reopening of the Onitsha Main Market, despite threats by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to enforce a sit-at-home across the South-East. The market was shut for one week last Monday after traders were accused of complying with the sit-at-home order. At the time, Soludo warned that the closure could be extended or parts of the market demolished should traders continue to defy government directives. The decision to reopen the market followed a series of engagements between the state government and market leaders. In a statement titled “Onitsha Main Market Re-opens on Monday, February 2,” the Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, confirmed that the governor’s closure order had expired.

Source: The Guardian February 01, 2026 17:21 UTC