Anambra: Protesters block Onitsha head bridge over market closure

The protesters

Onitsha Head Bridge in Anambra State was blocked on Wednesday as residents protested the ongoing closure of the Onitsha Main Market, following a directive by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.

In a video shared by the African Democratic Congress, protesters are shown barricading entrances to the bridge, chanting “No way in, no way out. Onitsha to Asaba blocked. Stand till!”

Many stood firm while some ran as the demonstration intensified.

The protest comes after Soludo ordered a one-week closure of the Onitsha Main Market on Monday.

In response, traders at the market reportedly took to the streets on Tuesday, carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, including expressions of support for the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. Among the slogans heard in circulating videos were: “Soludo, we no go gree o” and “Say no to Monday.”

The Onitsha Head Bridge links Anambra with Delta State, and the protest reportedly disrupted movement in and out of the state. Punch