# The Anambra State government has directed traders in twelve (12) additional markets to resume full business activities on Mondays, warning that non-compliance could result in temporary market closures.
The announcement, titled “Abolishment of Monday Sit-at-Home,” was contained in a circular signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade and Markets, Chief Evarist Uba. It was addressed to leaders of major markets under the Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA).
The newly affected markets include Ochanja Central Market, Bridgehead Market, Ogbaru Main Market, Building Materials Market Ogidi, Agba-Edo Auto Spare Parts Market Nnewi, New Auto and Motorcycle Spare Parts Market Nnewi, Fairly Used Motorcycle Spare Parts Market Nnewi, New Auto Spare Parts Market Nkpor, Nkpor Main Market, Old Mercedes Benz Spare Parts Dealers Market Nkpor, Old Motor Spare Parts Market Obosi, and Electrical Dealers International Market, Obosi.
Market chairmen were instructed to notify traders to open for business on Mondays in compliance with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s executive order aimed at restoring normal economic activity in the state. Government monitoring teams are expected to conduct random inspections, and markets found non-compliant may face temporary closure for one month.
# Police has recoverd of a suspected stolen abandoned vehicle in Akuzo Nkpor and arrest of four suspected cultists terrorising Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State.
Operatives of the Special Anti-Cult Squad attached to Obosi Sector in collaboration with a vigilante team from Akuzo Nkpor, during their patrol accosted a green coloured Honda Pilot Jeep with registration number KSF 671 BG, suspiciously parked within the area.
A thorough search was conducted, during which blood stains were observed inside the vehicle.
According to a press statement signed by Anambra Police Spokesman, SP. Tochukwu Ikenga, the vehicle was recovered, and necessary inquiry is ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
# Anambra State House of Assembly has called on residents to discontinue forthwith the Monday Sit-at Home order and resume all economic and social activities accordingly.
The 8th assembly at plenary, through a motion sponsored by the Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Johnbosco Akaegbobi, urged market and religious leader, schools, civil/public servants, transporters, SMEs to commence full scale activities forthwith across the state.
Hon. Akaegbobi, the lawmaker representing Nnewi South two Constituency, while leading the debate, maintained that the Monday sit-at-home was originally initiated in 2021 by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to protest the detention of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, which has evolved into a habitual weekly practice enforced by fear; across the South Eastern region.
The Minority Leader while raising his
concerns noted that the Sit at home directive, has disrupted economic and social activities across the South-East region for years and had been strongly condemned by the Soludo led Administration in Anambra State.
# Solution FC, the state-owned club supported by the Anambra State Government, did not register for the 2026 Anambra State Federation Cup, a development that has generated concern among football stakeholders in the state.
According to reports, the club was absent from the final list of teams that completed registration for the prestigious tournament organised by the Anambra State Football Association (ANSFA).
No Official Explanation from the Club
Attempts to obtain an official explanation from the club’s management proved unsuccessful as no statement was issued at the time of filing this report.
The ANSFA also did not provide clarification on the matter, leaving many fans and sports analysts to speculate on the reasons behind the omission.
# Governor Chukwuma Soludo, has reaffirmed the ongoing one-week closure of the Onitsha Main Market, stating it will remain shut until the mandated period is served.
The governor addressed the media in Awka, questioning why the market operated on Mondays during the recent Christmas and New Year holidays but has since resumed observing the unofficial “sit-at-home” lockdowns.
Governor Soludo described the traders’ refusal to open on Mondays as an act of economic sabotage against both Anambra State and the wider South East region, emphasizing that with security largely restored across the state and the over one hundred and fifty security officials within the Onitsha majn market, the continued Monday closures are unjustified.
He pointed out that streets and other businesses are now active on Mondays, labeling the market’s specific closure as a deliberate attempt to redefine the state’s economic calendar.
The governor highlighted his administration’s efforts to end the sit-at-home orders, noting that the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had itself issued statements against the lockdowns, detailed government interventions, including an amnesty program, a dedicated committee, and the establishment of a Bureau for Missing Persons.
# Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command attached to Ozubulu Division, acting on a technologically driven information, arrested two female suspects, Uzoma Nwabueze and Precious Monday, over a reported case of a missing 16-year old girl, Miss Oluebube Chukwuma in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of the State.
During interrogation, the suspects confessed to being involved in the disappearance of the minor and disclosed that the victim is currently in Ghana.
Reacting, Anambra Commissioner of Police, CP. Ikioye Orutugu directs immediate transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, for discreet and comprehensive investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the relocation of the girl and identify any other person(s) involved.
# The Anambra State Police Command wishes to inform members of the public that the Onitsha Main Market has been re-closed in compliance with the directive of the Anambra State Government, as approved by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
In furtherance of this directive, adequate security has been deployed in and around the market, as well as other strategic locations within Onitsha, by the Police in collaboration with other security agencies, to maintain law and order and prevent any breach of public peace.
Meanwhile, traders seen gathered around the market in a viral videos are situation not beyond the Police and other security agencies but they were addressed and sensitised on the need to cooperate fully with government directives in the interest of public safety, security, and economic stability.
The Command assures members of the public that the situation in Onitsha and across Anambra State remains calm and under control. Continuous monitoring is ongoing to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
# Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) has appointed Dr. Chukwunonso Ekesiobi, a new Head, Alumni Relations and Advancement Unit
Dr. Ekesiobi is a member of the Department of Economics and the first alumnus of COOU to head the university’s alumni office. He graduated with a First-Class Honours degree from COOU, going on to earn a Master’s and Doctorate degree in Energy and Policy Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
In addition to being a prolific researcher with publications in reputable local and international outlets, Dr. Ekesiobi has held various positions within COOU, most recently as the immediate past Associate Director of the COOU Research Management Office, demonstrating his commitment to academic leadership and service.
Dr. Ekesiobi belongs to several associations, including the Nigerian Statistical Association (now Chartered Institute of Statisticians of Nigeria (CISON), the Nigerian Association for Energy Economics (NAEE), and the Nigerian Economic Society (NES), where he currently serves as National Assistant Secretary and Students Liaison Officer.
Through this appointment, Dr. Chukwunonso is expected to galvanise the COOU alumni, forging stronger ties and opening new avenues for collaboration, innovation, and impact for the benefit of COOU.
