Beginning at 6:30 a.m., a combined team of soldiers, police officers, and Operation Udo-Ga-Achi (Agunechemba) operatives sealed all access routes to Onitsha Main Market, turning away traders attempting to reach their businesses.
The enforcement extended to interconnected markets—Marine, Biafra, Kano Street, Sokoto Road, William Street, and Bida Road—all economically dependent on the Main Market’s daily activities.
The decision sparked resistance from traders who attempted to breach the security cordon but were rebuffed by armed personnel. Journalists at the scene observed groups of merchants singing protest chants and appealing for the governor’s intervention, while others lingered nearby anticipating a policy reversal. As hours passed without change, most eventually dispersed homeward.