Soludo shuts Onitsha market amid heavy security

Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has made good his threat to close West Africa’s largest market, Onitsha Main Market, for one week.

The governor had ordered the closure of the market on Monday when he paid an unscheduled a visit and discovered that the traders violated his directive asking them to jettison the Monday sit-at-home and open for trading.

Soludo said the market will only be opened on Monday next week, and if traders failed to comply, he will close it for one month.

He said: “I don’t mind closing this market for the rest of this year, and if it gets too much, we will bring bulldozers and level this market. If you are not ready to trade on Monday, leave Anambra and go elsewhere.”

The traders had dismissed the governor’s directive, arguing that the state government had no right to force anyone to open their shops.

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Reacting to Soludo’s order, a trader, Mr Mbabefo, who owns a shop at Fancy Line said: “It is not about freedom of Nnamdi Kanu any longer, it is about the fact that we traders have found out that we need to give ourselves some rest.

“We trade from Monday to Saturday, and on Sunday we go to church, attend church and community meetings and other social events. Monday is the day we have time to rest. I don’t think the governor can stop us from opening our shop on Tuesday after resting on Monday.”

In the same vein, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in a statement by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, supported the traders, saying the governor cannot close the market.

IPOB told the traders to open their shops on Tuesday, despite Soludo’s directive.
It was reported that as at Tuesday morning, heavily armed security operatives have been drafted to Onitsha Main Market to enforce the governor’s order.

A fierce looking armoured personnel carrier was stationed at the entrance gate, while armed policemen were deployed around the market.

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The development has left traders powerless as they stand outside the gate of the market, rueing their loss.

A trader who could not be identified was heard shouting – “This Soludo is mean ooo. We don’t want to flex muscle with you sir, we are begging you as our father to please help us.”