The Onitsha Head Bridge in Anambra State was blocked on Wednesday as citizens protested the continuous closure of the Onitsha Main Market, as directed by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
In a video provided by the African Democratic Congress, demonstrators are seen barricading bridge openings and screaming, “No way in, no way out.” Onitsha to Asaba is currently blocked. “Stand still!”
As the rally grew in intensity, several people held firm, and others fled.
The protest comes after Soludo ordered a one-week closure of Onitsha Main Market on Monday.
In reaction, market vendors allegedly flocked to the streets on Tuesday, holding placards and screaming solidarity songs, including those in support of the Indigenous People of Biafra’s jailed leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The slogans heard in circulating videos were “Soludo, we no go gree o” and “Say no to Monday.”
The Onitsha Head Bridge connects Anambra and Delta State, and the demonstration reportedly hampered travel in and out of the state.
Soludo ordered the closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week after traders failed to comply with the state government’s direction to disobey the Monday sit-at-home order.
The governor issued the decision on Monday during an on-site visit to the market with some of his advisers and other government officials.
Soludo warned that if traders did not follow the directive, the shutdown may be extended, and that security services had sealed the market to implement the order.
On Monday, the governor described the development as the latest—and possibly most drastic—salvo in a long-running war for control of the Southeast’s economy.
Soludo stated that despite repeated guarantees of increased security and calls to reclaim public areas, many sellers at the iconic market preferred to keep their stalls locked.
According to him, their absence constituted a subtle rebellion that spoke volumes about the pervasive anxiety.
Soludo said, “The government cannot stand by while a few individuals willfully undermine public safety and disregard official directives meant to restore normalcy. This is plain economic sabotage.
“We are not going to allow this. The closure is a protective measure for law-abiding citizens.”
He, however, issued a stern warning that if the market fails to reopen after the one-week shutdown, it will be sealed for one month.
“You either decide that you are going to trade here or you go elsewhere. I am very serious about this,” the governor added.
On Monday, the scene at the market was tense, with a joint task force of police, army, and other security services securing the perimeter.
As the gates stay sealed this week, the impasse in Onitsha highlights the larger effort to end the Monday sit-at-home day.
When the market reopens next Monday, all eyes will be on the traders—whether they return to their stalls after the state’s show of force, or whether empty aisles convey a different result.
The outcome could influence not only the market’s fate but also the rhythm of Anambra State’s economic life on Mondays.
