Security agencies in Anambra State, a south-eastern state in Nigeria, have increased their presence around Onitsha Main Market, one of the country’s busiest trading centres located in Onitsha, a major commercial city on the River Niger.
The Commissioner of Police (CP) in Anambra State, Ikioye Orutugu, led a patrol and enforcement team across the market and surrounding areas to ensure compliance with a one-week closure ordered by Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo.
Governor Soludo announced the shutdown on Monday, following complaints that some traders were still observing the Monday sit-at-home practice, despite the state government’s directive asking residents and businesses to ignore it. The sit-at-home is a protest action that has, at different times, affected economic activities in parts of Nigeria’s South-East due to ongoing security tensions.
Okay News reports that the closure took effect immediately, with joint security teams moving in on Tuesday to block access to the market. Witnesses said the area was heavily barricaded, with hundreds of security personnel stationed at different points, while armoured personnel carriers and Hilux vans were positioned to block key routes leading into the market.
Security operatives also restricted movement in and around the market, preventing traders and other members of the public from entering the premises.
The enforcement effort sparked resistance on Wednesday, when some residents and traders protested by blocking the Asaba-Onitsha Expressway, a major route that connects to the River Niger Bridge, an important link between Nigeria’s South-East and other parts of the country. The road was reportedly obstructed for several minutes before security personnel moved in to disperse the protesters.
Speaking during the reinforcement exercise on Thursday, CP Orutugu said his visit was an assessment tour aimed at personally supervising and reviewing the deployment of police-led joint security forces across strategic locations in Onitsha and nearby communities.
He said the operation was meant to strengthen public order, promote safety, and reassure residents and commuters, adding that the security situation in the city remained calm and under control.
