Lawyer Speaks As Anambra Markets Become Battleground Between Soludo, IPOB

Anambra’s commercial nerve centre has become the latest front in a widening power struggle between the state government and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), placing thousands of traders in Onitsha at the centre of a high-stakes contest over authority, security, and economic survival.

Today, two outcomes appear inevitable: traders obey the outlawed yet audacious IPOB and sustain the sit-at-home order, or they reopen their shops and risk losing their means of livelihood to the Anambra State Government indefinitely.

For nearly five years, traders have consistently traded off a day’s profit for safety, complying with the Monday sit-at-home directive declared in solidarity with IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who remains in federal custody over charges bordering on treason and terrorism.

The prolonged shutdown, however, has drawn the ire of the state government, which describes it as economic sabotage. In a decisive move aimed at reclaiming control, the government shut the Onitsha Main Market for one week and threatened to extend the closure beyond February 2 should traders fail to resume business on Mondays.

In the days following the closure, Governor Chukwuma Soludo held a series of closed-door meetings with market stakeholders, underscoring the urgency of compliance and the consequences of defiance.

During the meetings, traders were informed that enforcement would hinge on compulsory attendance on Mondays, a strategy designed to identify defaulters and enforce obedience to the government’s directive.

Under the arrangement, traders who fail to comply risk losing ownership of their shops. Furthermore, officials warned that a high number of defaulters could trigger the demolition of sections of the market, followed by reconstruction under the state’s original master plan, projected to span two years.

Beyond enforcement, the government has also commenced actions against illegal structures within the market. As of February 1, several buildings and stalls had been marked for demolition.

According to government officials, the current layout of the Onitsha Main Market—one of the largest in West Africa—lacks designated parking spaces and clear vehicular access routes, deficiencies the planned redevelopment is expected to address.

Between Fear and Compliance

These developments have heightened anxiety among traders, exposing long-suppressed fears and deepening distrust in the government’s ability to guarantee sustained security amid competing centres of authority.

Although the state government has pledged the deployment of security personnel on Mondays, compliance remains uncertain. An assessment by THE WHISTLER indicates that several traders are still unwilling to reopen, wary of the consequences of choosing the “wrong” authority to obey.

“I will be at the market tomorrow (today). I have no choice; the governor has directed us to return or risk losing our shops,” a senior market administrator, who requested anonymity, told THE WHISTLER on Sunday.

“You know people are scared, right? Some will open, while others will wait to see how the situation unfolds before deciding,” the market leader added.

For some traders, fear continues to outweigh official assurances. A male suit dealer in the main market, who also requested anonymity for security reasons, said, “Even if everyone is told to open tomorrow (Monday), I am not coming until Tuesday.”

Complicating the already fraught situation, IPOB has explicitly declared February 2 a sit-at-home day, a move widely interpreted as a direct challenge to the authority of the state government and a signal that the struggle for control is far from settled.

Past confrontations with the group have rarely ended favourably for those who defied its directives, reinforcing apprehension and sharpening the question now hanging over Anambra’s markets: who truly wields power on Mondays?

Soludo’s Legal Right

As tensions mount, legal questions have taken centre stage. Providing a legal perspective, legal practitioner Dr Chinedu Obienu explained to THE WHISTLER that while markets “ordinarily fall under the administration of Local Government Areas (LGAs), the Onitsha Main Market operates a hybrid structure in which the state government exercises significant oversight”.

According to Obienu, this oversight spans administration, infrastructure, security, and financial management, areas directly linked to Anambra State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

“If the question is whether Governor Soludo is legally empowered to keep the market closed, the answer is yes, particularly where such action is taken in overriding public interest and to prevent economic sabotage in a trading state like Anambra,” he said.

He cited Section 28(1) of the Land Use Act, 1978, which provides that: “It shall be lawful for the Governor to revoke a right of occupancy for overriding public interest.”

Such interest, as defined under the Act, includes urban redevelopment, town planning, environmental concerns, and the execution of public projects.

However, Obienu noted that Sections 28(6) and 29 of the Act stipulate that any revocation must meet the threshold of overriding public interest, be preceded by proper notice, and include compensation for unexhausted improvements on the land.

He added that while the state government’s objective of restoring normalcy to a critical economic hub is legitimate, sustained dialogue and diplomatic engagement with traders remain necessary to avoid escalation and unrest.

Security Readiness

Meanwhile, the battle for control has been further complicated by internal divisions within IPOB itself, with one faction appearing to support the state government’s position while another insists on continued shutdown of businesses and schools on Mondays.

The Anambra State Police Command has dismissed reports of imminent violence, describing them as “a deliberate and coordinated attempt through social media to spread fear, misinformation, and panic.”

In a press release issued following enquiries from THE WHISTLER, the command said such narratives were aimed at undermining public confidence and disrupting the peace currently enjoyed in the state.

It assured residents of its readiness to intensify intelligence-led patrols, security surveillance, and proactive policing to forestall threats to lives and property.

“The Command reassures the public that adequate security measures have been put in place and urges residents to remain calm, law-abiding, and security-conscious,” the statement read.

Similarly, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Anambra Command, announced the deployment of additional personnel to areas considered vulnerable to violence.

“All identified black spots and flashpoints will witness heightened patrols by our officers,” the Head of Media and Tactical Operations, SC Edwin Okadigbo, told THE WHISTLER.

He added that Area Commanders and Divisional Officers, particularly those overseeing Onitsha, have been directed to collaborate with other security agencies to secure markets, schools, and critical infrastructure, including the Niger Bridge.