The pro-Biafran group had declared the weekly sit-at-home in August 2021 to protest Kanu’s rendition to Nigeria and subsequent incarceration, a move that often resulted in the shutdown of markets, schools, banks and offices. The group warned that any individual or group attempting to enforce sit-at-home would be acting against Kanu’s direct order. Last week, Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, ordered the forced reopening of the Onitsha Main Market on Monday, in a move defying the sit-at-home directive issued by IPOB. Following a one-week closure, the market was reopened on Monday, February 2, with many traders operating for the first time since 2021, when the enforcement of the sit-at-home order began. He added that those who refused to open their shops would face the loss of their businesses.

Source: Punch February 09, 2026 13:56 UTC