The Anambra State Police Command, on Thursday, enforced the one-week closure of the Onitsha Main Market as directed by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, following traders’ alleged refusal to comply with the state government’s order to disregard the weekly Monday sit-at-home.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, personally led a police-led joint security operation to the market to ensure full compliance with the governor’s directive.
Governor Soludo had ordered the closure on Monday during an on-the-spot assessment of the market, which he visited alongside senior government officials. He warned that the continued observance of sit-at-home orders was crippling economic activities and eroding the authority of the state.
As part of the enforcement, security agencies on Tuesday barricaded the Onitsha Main Market and surrounding areas, deploying hundreds of personnel to strategic locations. Armoured Personnel Carriers and police Hilux vans were stationed around the market to restrict access and prevent trading activities.
The enforcement barred traders and members of the public from entering the market, creating tension in parts of the commercial city.
The situation sparked protests on Wednesday, as some traders and residents temporarily blocked the Asaba–Onitsha Expressway leading to the Niger Bridge. Security operatives later dispersed the protesters and restored traffic flow.
Speaking during the enforcement exercise on Thursday, CP Orutugu said his visit was aimed at strengthening public safety and maintaining order across Onitsha and its environs.
Read also:
- CLO urges Soludo to reopen Onitsha Main Market as closure triggers economic pain, rising tension
- Cross River boosts reproductive health as UNFPA delivers 118,656 Condoms, Implants after ₦22m funding release
- Police arrest man over alleged murder of elder brother in Adamawa
He explained that the exercise was a security assessment tour to personally supervise and evaluate the deployment of police-led joint security personnel at critical points in the metropolis.
“This proactive engagement underscores the Command’s commitment to maintaining peace, ensuring compliance with lawful directives and preventing any breach of public order,” Orutugu said.
He added that the security situation in Onitsha remained calm and under control, reassuring residents, traders and commuters of their safety.
Earlier, police operatives had prevented protesters from accessing the Onitsha Head Bridge over the market closure. As the shutdown entered its second day on Wednesday, some residents again attempted to block the road leading to the bridge before security agents intervened.
The Anambra State Government has maintained that the market closure is necessary to enforce compliance with its directive against sit-at-home orders and to restore normal economic activities across the state.
