A United States-based advocacy group has criticised the Anambra State governor, Chukwuma Soludo, over the recent closure of Onitsha’s main commercial district, warning that it could seek international action against him.
The Rising Sun Foundation, working with a coalition supporting Biafra self-determination, described the one-week blockade of Onitsha’s business area as excessive and harmful to local traders.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Dr Maxwell Dede, who represents the foundation in the US, the group accused Governor Soludo of abandoning earlier commitments to dialogue with Igbo leaders and groups.
The foundation said the closure of the market and surrounding business districts had deepened economic hardship in one of West Africa’s busiest trading hubs. It argued that the crisis in Onitsha was not caused by traders but by what it called “government failure and authoritarian decision-making”.
“Governor Soludo stands accused of a profound and treacherous betrayal. Four years ago, he courted the support of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the aspirations of millions, publicly pledging to facilitate a grand dialogue for the Igbo people. Today, he actively persecutes the very people and principles that propelled him to power,” the statement said.
Governor Soludo ordered the temporary shutdown of the market following continued observance of Monday sit-at-home protests in parts of Nigeria’s South-East, a practice originally linked to the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The Anambra State government has said the sit-at-home has caused severe economic losses and insecurity.
Security forces were deployed to enforce the closure, with access roads blocked and traders prevented from opening their shops.
The Rising Sun Foundation criticised the use of security personnel, claiming that many of those deployed were not from the region. It also accused the governor of failing to speak out strongly against the continued detention of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is facing terrorism-related charges brought by the Nigerian government.
The group warned that any violence against protesters or traders could lead to international consequences, including efforts to have Governor Soludo declared persona non grata abroad.
It called on the Nigerian federal government, international observers and human rights organisations to intervene, urging authorities to lift the blockade and pursue dialogue instead.
“The siege on Onitsha must be lifted. The path to peace in the South-East is through justice, dialogue, and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu not through military barricades and economic suffocation.”
The Anambra State government has not responded directly to the group’s statement. However, officials have repeatedly defended the market closure as a necessary step to restore normal economic activity and protect livelihoods in the state.
