Security operatives have maintained a heavy presence at the Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State, as traders expressed frustration over the enforcement of the market’s closure and criticised the government’s handling of the situation.

While some traders questioned the fairness of the shutdown—arguing that many business owners who travelled to major markets within Nigeria and abroad had already procured goods and were prepared to resume sales after the yuletide period—others said the directive would deepen hardship, particularly for those who depend on daily sales for survival.

Conversely, some traders commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for the action, noting that compliance with an order issued by a recognised authority of the state was more appropriate than obeying directives from unknown actors.

Some traders also appealed to the governor to sustain the same level of security next Monday, expressing readiness to return to business.

Early on Tuesday, personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Department of State Services were deployed to barricade all major entrances to the market and prevent traders from accessing their shops. Additional operatives were stationed at strategic points to turn back anyone attempting to gain entry.

Reacting to the development, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, said the heavy security presence was aimed at maintaining law and order in line with the directive of the Anambra State Government.

He urged traders to cooperate fully with the directive in the interest of public safety, security, and economic stability, assuring that security agencies would ensure calm and orderliness in Onitsha and across the state.

Governor Soludo had ordered the closure of the Onitsha Main Market following an unscheduled inspection on Monday, which revealed that most traders had failed to open their shops in compliance with the sit-at-home order imposed by non-state actors.

The state government has since emphasised that Mondays are now regular working days and warned that any action to the contrary would attract stiffer sanctions.

According to the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Law Mefoh, available statistics indicate that Anambra State loses an average of ₦8 billion every Monday the Onitsha Main Market remains non-functional.