A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Joe Igbokwe, has linked the recent unrest surrounding the closure of the Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State to alleged internal support for criminal activities within the state.
The development follows rising tension in Onitsha after Governor Charles Soludo ordered the shutdown of the major commercial hub over traders’ compliance with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) sit-at-home directive observed on Mondays.
Since the enforcement of the closure, security operatives deployed to the area have reportedly engaged in confrontations with traders protesting the decision.
In his reaction, issued in a statement on Wednesday night, the 28th of January, 2026, Igbokwe suggested that the unfolding situation pointed to troubling internal complicity, asserting that it is “looking and sounding as if Anambra people are the ones hosting Bandits, the ones supporting their activities in the South East, the most patriotic and the sponsors of their murderous activities and criminalities in the zone”.
He further stated that Governor Soludo had taken a decisive stance on the matter, stressing that defiance would attract consequences.
READ ALSO: Soludo Draws Line: Monday Sit-at-Home Ends In Anambra
“A line has been drawn by Governor Soludo: Open the Onitsha Main Market on Monday and go about doing your business or you lose one week of doing nothing. This is where we are now in the State that has been the backbone South East.
“We are all watching the drama as it develops. But this is a game the sponsors of mayhem will never win. Maybe the leaders of the market think they are above the law.
“The leaders are showing us through actions and deeds that they are fully IPOB commanders and sponsors”, part of the statement read.
Igbokwe’s remarks have added to the growing debate over the enforcement of the sit-at-home order and the wider security implications for Anambra State and the South East region.