Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has criticised political leaders in Nigeria’s Southeast for what he described as “radio silence” over the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a post shared on Tuesday, Sowore accused regional leaders of wrongly assuming that Kanu’s incarceration would end agitation for Biafra, arguing instead that it has intensified tensions across the region.
“They believed that locking him up would extinguish the struggle. History shows
that repression has never defeated a just cause,” Sowore said.
Sowore’s remarks come amid heightened political and economic tension in Anambra State, following Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s decision to shut down the Onitsha Main Market and adjoining markets for one week.
The governor ordered the closure on Monday as a punitive response to traders who observed the illegal “Monday sit-at-home” directive, a protest tactic enforced by separatist sympathisers that has disrupted commercial activities in the Southeast for several years.
Governor Soludo, who personally inspected the largely deserted markets, described the traders’ action as “plain economic sabotage,” warning that the markets could remain closed for an extended period if traders fail to resume business activities on Mondays.
“This is not about politics or sympathy. It is about reclaiming our economy and stopping criminal coercion,” the governor said during the inspection.
Reacting to the development, Sowore criticised the state government’s approach, insisting that economic crackdowns would not resolve the underlying crisis in the region.
“He may shut down every market in the world, but nothing will change until justice is done,” Sowore stated, referring to Governor Soludo’s action.
The Southeast has remained under strain as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle the sit-at-home regime through enforcement and economic sanctions, while activists and separatist groups continue to argue that the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu is the fundamental issue driving unrest in the region.
