The Anambra State Government has ordered the closure of the New Auto Spare Parts Association (NASPA) Market in Nkwo Nnewi for one week over non-compliance with the directive ending Monday sit-at-home in the state.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, the government announced that the market would be shut from midnight on February 23, 2026, and is scheduled to reopen on March 2, 2026.
According to the statement, the decision followed low compliance with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s order prohibiting the Monday sit-at-home. The closure directive was conveyed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade and Markets, Chief Evarist Uba, alongside Law Mefor, Special Adviser on Security AVM Ben Chiobi (Rtd), and Nnewi Mayor Echezona Anazodo.
Traders and customers were advised to stay away from the market until it reopens to avoid possible confrontation with law enforcement agencies. The government also warned that further closure could be imposed if compliance remains unsatisfactory.
The development follows similar enforcement measures in January when Governor Soludo ordered the temporary shutdown of the Onitsha Main Market and adjoining markets to compel adherence to the directive against sit-at-home.
For years, parts of Anambra State have observed the Monday sit-at-home declared by non-state actors in the South-East, a practice that has significantly disrupted commercial and social activities. In April 2022, Soludo formally declared the exercise over, introduced amnesty initiatives, and set up reconciliation efforts aimed at restoring normalcy across the state.
