IPOB orders Onitsha main market to open on January 27 despite Governor Soludo’s one-week closure, calling for Nnamdi Kanu’s release to restore normalcy

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has directed traders and shop owners at the Onitsha Main Market to resume business on Tuesday, January 27, defying Anambra State Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo’s one-week market closure order.

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Governor Soludo issued the closure directive earlier on Monday after traders failed to comply with the government’s earlier call to disregard the Monday sit-at-home order.

He visited the market alongside aides and warned that the shutdown could be extended if traders continued to resist, noting that security agencies had sealed the market to enforce the closure.

In response, IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful said the people of Anambra had the right to pursue their livelihoods, insisting the directive was not a defiance of the government but an exercise of their God-given rights.

He also urged the Federal Government to release IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to restore peace and normalcy in the South-East.

“The IPOB hereby declares that tomorrow, January 27, 2026, our people in Anambra State shall resume their legitimate business activities and open their shops and markets,” the statement read.

Powerful highlighted the resilience of traders, recalling that they received no government support during the COVID-19 lockdowns and endured significant hardships during historical events, including the Nigeria-Biafra War.

He warned that any harassment, arrests, or deployment of soldiers to enforce the closure would be resisted and could have serious consequences.

“Our people endured a three-year food blockade during the Nigeria-Biafra War and emerged as the most entrepreneurial ethnic group in Africa… Governor Soludo, you cannot defeat our collective spirit of resistance; history teaches us that,” he said.

The IPOB statement stressed that while the group did not seek confrontation with the Anambra State Government, it demanded respect for the people’s wishes, reiterating calls for Kanu’s unconditional release.

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Governor Soludo had previously noted that many traders ignored assurances of improved security and kept their stalls locked, reflecting ongoing fear and mistrust in the region.