The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Tuesday accused Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, of enforcing his threat to seal shops belonging to traders at Onitsha Main Market who complied with the sit-at-home order.
In a statement by IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful, the group described the governor’s actions as “authoritarian and reckless” and called on him to reverse the decision immediately.
Governor Soludo had previously warned that traders who continued to observe the sit-at-home order would face the closure of their shops. The market was earlier shut for a week over the same issue, with Soludo threatening a month-long closure if traders persisted in staying home on Mondays.
IPOB noted that in protest against the governor’s actions, it declared a sit-at-home on February 5, 2026. Traders who observed the order were now facing the sealing of their shops. The group, however, recently announced the permanent cancellation of the weekly Monday sit-at-home in the South-East, following directives from its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The statement said the sealing of shops amounted to collective punishment and warned that such actions could escalate tensions and economic losses. It read in part:
“Governor Soludo, as an economist and self-professed intellectual, should understand that societal patterns and public responses cannot be changed overnight through threats or intimidation. People are citizens, not automatons.”
IPOB further argued that the governor’s move mirrored tactics that have historically humiliated and economically undermined Igbo communities in other parts of Nigeria. The group emphasized that leadership should be based on justice, respect, and persuasion, not coercion.
The statement concluded by urging the governor to act in a way that promotes unity, healing, and respect for the rule of law.
