Enforcement Crackdown: Anambra Authorities Shut Down More Than 1,000 Stores in Onitsha's Pharmaceutical Hub

Anambra State Government officials, backed by the Operation Udo Ga Achi security outfit, also known as Agunechemba, took drastic action on Monday, sealing over 1,000 shops at Onitsha's Bridgehead Drug Market, also referred to as Ogbogwu.

This move was made in response to purported non-compliance with Governor Chukwuma Soludo's directive to suspend the Monday sit-at-home order in the state.

The enforcement exercise commenced at approximately 2:30 p.m., with government officials and security personnel navigating the market and affixing red "Sealed" labels on closed shops.

Conversely, shops that were open for business at the time were exempt from the sealing exercise.

Traders present at the market were observed making phone calls to notify shop owners whose stores had been locked and subsequently sealed by the officials.

Efforts to obtain a statement from Chukwuleta Ndubuisi, Chairman of the Ogbogwu Market, were unsuccessful due to network issues.

Ndubuisi Ochiogu, President of the Ogbaru Main Market Traders Association, responded to the development by stating that traders had been adhering to the directive to open their shops on Mondays.

According to Ochiogu, a joint monitoring team comprising state government and Ogbaru Local Government representatives had previously visited the market and praised traders for their compliance with the directive ending the Monday sit-at-home order.

Ochiogu noted that traders have been opening their shops every Monday in accordance with Governor Soludo's order, with an increasing number of traders responding positively to the directive.