Anambra Endures Major Economic Blow Amid Widespread Business Closures on Biafra Day [VIDEO]

 

A wave of silence swept across Anambra State on Friday, May 30, 2025, as communities observed a sit-at-home order reportedly in connection with the annual Biafra Day commemoration. From bustling commercial centers to critical service providers, nearly all aspects of daily life came to a halt, sparking concerns over the financial toll of the impromptu shutdown.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a secessionist group agitating for the independence of the former Biafra region, had issued a directive earlier in the week urging residents to suspend commercial and public activities in honor of those who lost their lives during the Biafran War. The group labeled May 30 as a day of solemn remembrance for “fallen heroes,” urging for a peaceful, sit-at-home protest.

Compliance was reportedly widespread. From major towns such as Awka, Nnewi, Ogidi, and Ekwulobia to smaller communities including Adazi, Oraifite, and Ekwulumili, the normally vibrant scenes of commerce were replaced by deserted streets, locked storefronts, and inactive markets. Private businesses, public institutions, health centers, and educational facilities were all shuttered.

Local sources confirmed the extent of the shutdown. In areas like Nnobi, Nnokwa, and Ukpor, the atmosphere was akin to a ghost town. Traders, transporters, and service providers stayed home, some out of conviction, others out of fear.

Security forces heightened patrols across the state, deploying officers to ensure that the situation remained peaceful and that no group used the occasion to incite unrest. The Anambra State Police Command, under the leadership of Commissioner CP Ikioye Orutugu, coordinated a security operation involving the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Army, Navy, and other allied agencies.

A day before the scheduled sit-at-home, security chiefs held a closed-door meeting aimed at preventing violence or unlawful enforcement of the order. According to the command’s spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, law enforcement agencies had been placed on high alert, although no major incidents of violence were reported by the end of the day.

“Following the outcome of a closed-door meeting of the Anambra Guber Security Service Commanders ahead of an illegal sit-at-home on 30th May 2025, by some criminal elements, the Commissioner of Police CP Ikioye Orutugu has noted the increased motivation of the Police and Other Security Agencies stemming from the cooperation and support received from Ndi Anambra in joining voices to condemn any act that threatens our national peace,” DSP Ikenga said in a statement.

He praised the residents for their solidarity with security operatives, emphasizing that such cooperation had strengthened the agencies' resolve to confront potential threats to public peace through a unified, community-based policing approach.

Despite the peaceful outcome, business owners expressed frustration over the financial implications of the day's inactivity. A trader in the electronics section of Nnewi’s market lamented the loss, saying, “This day brought nothing but a hole in our pockets. We depend on daily sales to survive, and when shops remain locked, we suffer.”

Another shop owner in Awka, who also declined to be named, echoed similar sentiments. “It’s not just we the traders; the state government also loses revenue from taxes and levies when business activities are grounded. It’s a collective setback,” he said.

This annual sit-at-home directive, whether adhered to voluntarily or enforced under threat, continues to pose economic and political challenges in the Southeast. While IPOB maintains that the day is a non-violent expression of remembrance, the loss in productivity and commercial activity remains a growing concern for both residents and state authorities.

As of the time of reporting, no incidents of violence had been recorded, though the ripple effects of the closure were already being tallied in naira and lost opportunities. The quietness that blanketed Anambra may have symbolized respect for the fallen, but for the living, it raised pressing questions about the cost of remembrance in an already fragile economic landscape.