Anxiety as Onitsha Main Market reopens under Soludo directive
Tension and anxiety have gripped Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State following the government’s decision to reopen the commercial hub after a week-long closure, highlighting deep concerns among traders about safety, livelihoods and ongoing threats tied to sit-at-home directives.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo ordered the reopening of the market on Monday, February 2, 2026, after the expiration of a government-imposed one-week closure that was meant to force a return to normal business practices. Officials said the shutdown was aimed at ending traders’ continued observance of a Monday sit-at-home order linked to non-state actors in the South-East, which authorities say has hampered economic activity.
Despite the reopening, many traders remain anxious and fearful about their personal safety and the potential for violence or reprisals if they open for business on Mondays. Many had stayed away from the market for years on fear of enforcement of the sit-at-home directive, and memories of past attacks have made some reluctant to return to full operations even under heavy security presence.
The market did resume commercial activities under tight security deployment, including armed forces posted around the entrances and inner corridors of the trading hub to discourage disruptions and ensure trader safety. Some traders have expressed cautious optimism that business will gradually normalise, while others remain wary of returning to routine Monday operations because of continuing threats and the history of unrest associated with the sit-at-home practice.
Further adding to the unease is the backdrop of broader unrest and ongoing calls for sit-at-home actions by separatist groups, which have raised regional concerns about public safety and economic stagnation. This has kept trader confidence fragile even as markets reopen, and many are watching closely whether normal life and commerce will truly take hold.
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