The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has strongly criticised Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, alongside other governors in the South East, over what it described as their failure to guarantee the safety of residents across the region.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the 3rd of February, 2026, the group’s President-General, Goodluck Ibe, argued that weak security arrangements by state governments have emboldened the continued enforcement of the “perpetuation of the illegal sit-at-home order” linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
He referenced the recent decision by Governor Soludo to close the Onitsha Main Market after traders were accused of complying with the IPOB sit-at-home directive. Although the market later resumed activities on Monday following an agreement by traders to disregard the order going forward, COSEYL said the underlying security issues remain unresolved.
According to the group, the Chairman of Mgbuka Amazu Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, Chief Enibe Francis, who reportedly adhered to the governor’s directive, “was kidnapped by suspected sit-at-home enforcers.” Ibe disclosed that the market leader is still unaccounted for, adding that “no substantial efforts have been made by the governor to ensure his safe return.”
He maintained that the development highlights deeper concerns about governance and public safety in the state. “This unfortunate incident underscores the gravity of the security situation in Anambra State and raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the governor’s leadership and his ability to protect the people he governs,” the statement read.
COSEYL also faulted South East governors for neglecting victims affected by the sit-at-home orders, noting that authorities have failed to “provide any form of compensation or support to victims of the sit-at-home orders.”
The group recalled several violent incidents linked to enforcement of the order, stating, “In the past, individuals have been gruesomely killed or had their means of livelihood destroyed simply for daring to defy the sit-at-home orders.”
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It further cited a particularly disturbing case: “There was the tragic case of a pregnant woman in labour who was burnt alive in a vehicle conveying her to the hospital in Orlu for attempting to go out on a Monday, a situation that was completely ignored by the authorities.”
COSEYL stressed that lasting peace would not come through intimidation or repression. “It is with a heavy heart that we state that the solution to ending the sit-at-home orders lies not in the continued suppression of the people, but in the provision of adequate security,” the statement said.
The group urged Governor Soludo and other South East leaders to take decisive steps to protect lives and property, insisting that accountability is key. “Governor Soludo and his counterparts in the South East must prioritise the safety of their citizens by strengthening security infrastructure and ensuring that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes are held accountable.”
Concluding, COSEYL noted that fear remains the major driver of compliance with the sit-at-home directive. “The sit-at-home orders will only cease when people are no longer afraid to go about their legitimate businesses without fear of being attacked, kidnapped, or killed,” the statement added.