Anambra residents intensified sit-at-home protest over Nnamdi Kanu’s detention, shutting markets and roads despite IPOB cancellation and police assurances

Anambra sit-at-home protest returned in full force on Monday as residents across the state stayed indoors to express solidarity with the ongoing #FreeNnamdiKanu demonstrations in Abuja.

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Despite the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) cancelling the exercise in 2021, commercial and social activities were paralysed across Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia, and parts of Awka, as banks, markets, schools, and offices remained under lock and key.

The development comes amid renewed calls for the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, whose continued detention despite court orders has sparked fresh protests nationwide.

Reports from major towns showed that Onitsha Main Market, Ochanja, Nkwo Nnewi, and other commercial hubs were completely deserted, while only a few roadside traders were seen operating at Nkpor and Eke-Awka.

Residents said the intensified Anambra sit-at-home protest was driven both by solidarity and fear of possible attacks from hoodlums enforcing the cancelled order.

A resident of Okpoko, Onitsha, Jude Uzor, told reporters that the protest was “in solidarity with the #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow protest going on in Abuja,” adding that although the sit-at-home had subsided in recent months, “today, it was a total lockdown.”

A market leader in Onitsha, who spoke anonymously, explained that traders had earlier resumed opening shops on Mondays in compliance with the governor’s directive but decided to shut down again “to support the Free Kanu movement.”

Another resident, John Okeke, urged South-East governors to intervene politically to secure Kanu’s release, stressing that “it could be anyone tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, commended residents for their growing commitment to peace and assured that the Command had deployed adequate security personnel to sustain calm across the state.

He reiterated that the police would continue to adopt proactive measures and strengthen community policing to ensure law-abiding citizens go about their activities without fear.

In a related statement, the Command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed that a security assessment was carried out following credible intelligence about a planned protest.

He noted that residents had largely embraced “dialogue and peaceful engagement” as means of expressing their concerns.

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The latest Anambra sit-at-home protest underscores the lingering tension surrounding Nnamdi Kanu’s detention and the enduring impact of the 2021 directive, despite its official cancellation by IPOB.