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Pandemonium broke out in Onitsha Main Market, Anambra State, on Tuesday when traders clashed with security officers enforcing the closure of the facility.
The Eastern Updates reports that Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, shut down the market on Monday over the continued adherence to the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
The governor questioned why shops remained closed despite the peace and calm in Anambra.
The Eastern Updates earlier reported on Tuesday morning that armoured tanks and heavily armed policemen were deployed to enforce the market closure.
However, traders stormed the facility later on Tuesday, attempting to gain access to their shops.
There refusal to obey the governor’s order led to the clash with the enforcers.
In a viral video, the traders could be seen running around for safety while loud gunshots were heard from the market.
Read Also: Anambra Shutters Dozens Of Health Centers For Violations
Between January 2023 and December 2025, Anambra State took the decisive step of closing 54 hospitals and clinics following investigations that revealed lapses in professional standards, according to the state Ministry of Health. Of those, 15 facilities have reopened after meeting the required benchmarks.
The closures form part of Governor Charles Soludo’s broader push to raise healthcare quality across the state. Among the institutions temporarily shuttered was the state-owned Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital in Amaku-Awka, signaling that the reforms reach even major medical centers.
Beyond regulatory enforcement, the state has invested in emergency medical services to improve access to urgent care. Since launching the Anambra State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System in May 2023, the program has grown from 10 ambulances to over 60 units, now covering all 21 local government areas.
