Tension flared at the Onitsha Main Market on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. as traders staged a protest against the Anambra State Government’s decision to shut the market over continued observance of the Monday sit-at-home order.
The protest followed Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s directive ordering the closure of the market for one week, citing what the state described as traders’ repeated refusal to open for business on Mondays despite government assurances of security.
Angry traders, chanting anti-government “Soludo show me the law” slogans and carrying placards within the market vicinity, accused the state government of targeting their livelihoods and attempting to “punish traders for demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu.” Some protesters described the action as unjust and insensitive, arguing that traders were being caught in the middle of a long-running political and security crisis.
Amid the protest, a statement attributed to Dr. Ngozi Orabueze, who identified herself as the Deputy Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed United States of Biafra (USB), urged traders to resume business activities across Onitsha markets.
In the statement, the group described the governor’s closure order as “illegal” and maintained that the Monday sit-at-home remains a “voluntary civil disobedience exercise by Biafra residents.”
“The sit-at-home will continue until the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Simon Ekpa, and until the full restoration and protection of Biafra territory,” the statement said.
The group further claimed that a unit it referred to as the “USB Elite Squad” would ensure that traders were not disturbed while carrying out their “lawful businesses,” adding that the USB Secretary of Defence, identified as Gen. Rabbi, would oversee compliance.
“The protection of the rights of USB citizens must be upheld at all times,” the statement concluded.
Despite the protest and the competing directives, security presence was observed around the market area as authorities monitored developments. As of the time of filing this report, the Anambra State Government had not issued an official response to the protest or the statement credited to the Biafra group.