The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has urged Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to channel his personal relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu toward securing the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, rather than deploying state power against traders in Onitsha.
In a strongly worded statement issued by the Anambra State Coordinator of MASSOB, Engr. Izunna Okoronkwo, the group condemned the forceful closure of Onitsha Main Market, describing it as a misplaced response to a voluntary sit-at-home protest.
“The sit-at-home observed by traders is voluntary. It was not coerced or enforced. It is an act of solidarity with the unlawful incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” Okoronkwo said.
MASSOB insisted that the protest was a peaceful expression of civil disobedience, stressing that traders should not be punished for expressing their grievances.
“Closing markets and intimidating traders will not solve the problem. The root issue remains the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” the group stated.
The organisation challenged Governor Soludo to prioritise political engagement over coercion, arguing that he is uniquely positioned to intervene at the federal level.
“The most meaningful legacy Governor Soludo can give Ndi Anambra is not repression, but using his personal relationship and loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to secure the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” Okoronkwo said.
MASSOB further described the statewide sit-at-home scheduled for February 2, 2026, as a signal to the government that public frustration is deepening, warning that force would only worsen tensions.
“Deploying security forces and shutting down markets cannot suppress the unrelenting spirit of Biafrans in Anambra State,” the statement added.
The group reaffirmed its support for the February 2 sit-at-home exercise, maintaining that dialogue and justice—not intimidation—remain the only sustainable path to stability in the state.
