The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has warned Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, over reports of the sealing of shops at the Onitsha Main Market on Monday.

The group said the reported action targeted traders who stayed away from work due to the continued sit-at-home observed in parts of the South-East.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB said it received “credible reports” that government officials moved into the market to shut down shops that failed to open on Monday.

IPOB called on the Anambra State Government to immediately reopen all sealed shops, describing the alleged move as “deeply troubling, reckless and authoritarian.”

The group said punishing traders for staying away from work amounted to collective punishment, insisting that citizens should not be coerced into compliance.

“To seal the shops of hardworking traders because they did not open on a particular day is not governance; it is collective punishment,” the statement said.

IPOB noted that the action reportedly followed earlier warnings by Governor Soludo against sit-at-home, but maintained that participation in the practice remains voluntary, not enforced by the group.

It reiterated that its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has repeatedly called for an end to sit-at-home and the violence associated with its enforcement.

“Where sit-at-home still occurs, it is a voluntary civil expression of solidarity by ordinary people pained by the continued detention of our leader,” IPOB said.

The group warned that intimidation and economic pressure would only worsen tension in the state and deepen public mistrust, stressing that fear, past attacks and unresolved grievances still influence residents’ behaviour.

“People are not automatons. They are citizens with fears, experiences and memories of past injustices,” the statement added.

IPOB urged Governor Soludo to adopt dialogue rather than force, warning that heavy-handed measures could trigger unrest and undermine peace in the state.