A trader at Onitsha Main Market has lamented the destruction of his shop and goods, claiming the demolition was carried out because he observed the Monday sit-at-home protest following the imprisonment of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu.
In a viral video, the distraught trader was seen throwing himself to the ground at the site of the demolition, expressing devastation over the loss of his livelihood.
He said his shop, reportedly stocked with goods worth millions of naira, was among several levelled after traders failed to open for business in compliance with the sit-at-home order.
“I have been killed financially. My shop was demolished with all the goods inside. My boss only settled me this January to start up again, and now everything is gone,” the trader lamented, fighting back tears as he recounted the loss.
“Governor Soludo wants me to go and start armed robbery after destroying my legitimate business which he or his government did not start for me.”
The trader claimed that the enforcement action followed directives aimed at compelling traders to open their shops on Mondays despite the long-standing sit-at-home protests in parts of the South-East.
The protest, which began in 2021 in solidarity with Kanu, the IPOB leader, has significantly disrupted economic activities across the region.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has repeatedly vowed to end the sit-at-home order, describing it as harmful to the region’s economy and enforced through fear and intimidation.
His administration has urged residents and business owners to resume normal activities on Mondays, insisting that the state’s economy will not be held hostage.
However, some traders say they remain in a difficult position, caught between the threat of violence from those enforcing the protest and pressure from authorities to keep their businesses open.
They pointed to incidents of killings and property destruction, lamenting the lack of government support or empathy.
Traders at Onitsha Main Market noted that the demolition of businesses has heightened anxiety among owners already struggling amid economic hardship.
“This is our only means of survival,” another trader said. “Many of us take loans or depend on support from relatives to restock our shops. Losing everything like this is a huge setback. The sole responsibility of government is for the security and welfare of the citizens but the government is after their personal interest and those of their cronies. Demolition of people’s businesses cannot and will not solve anything rather it will multiply the insecurity and increase tension in the land.”