Ndi Anambra should not be participants in any unholy alliance and scheme to burn down their state and sabotage its economy
By Uche Nworah
This commentary is not intended to incite ethnic bias or stigmatize any group. Rather, it seeks to reflect on recent events surrounding the protests in Onitsha following the Anambra State Government’s closure of the Main Market over the continued observation of Monday sit-at-home orders. These developments appear to have brought to the surface deeper and more complex ethnic, economic, and security dynamics within Main Market, Onitsha, and similar commercial centres across the state.
There is a growing perception that traders who are indigenous to Anambra State, are becoming less visible within these markets. Many Ndi Anambra seem to be moving away from traditional trading and the Igba-Boi apprenticeship system, possibly in favour of ventures perceived as more lucrative, less tasking, or less time-consuming like Igba-Boi. In some cases, this shift may also reflect the growing attraction to “get-rich-quick” pathways-popularly described as the Ibute Ike syndrome-which has, unfortunately, manifested in harmful and diabolical practices such as Oke Ite, Obala Ola, Ogwu Ego, and similar activities.
...is there a wider agenda at play? If so, what might it be? Could the economic destabilization of Anambra State-particularly its commercial nerve centres-form part of a deliberate strategy?
At the same time, media reports and available police records indicate that a number of individuals arrested in connection with activities attributed to Unknown Gunmen (UGM) have reportedly been traced to a particular Southeast State. Notably, This state itself does not appear to experience UGM or secessionist-related violence on the same scale as Anambra State. This contrast raises legitimate questions about why such activities appear to be more concentrated within Anambra.
For instance, does the state in question experience the proliferation of UGM camps to the extent that we experience them in Anambra State? Is it not ironic that, at a point, such camps were said to be spread across large parts of Anambra in an apparent effort to render the state uninhabitable and ungovernable?
Have we forgotten how entire villages and towns were deserted for extended periods, until improved security conditions-particularly towards the end of 2025-encouraged many Ndi Anambra to return to their ancestral homes? Some did for the first time in many years. Chairman of Airpeace Airlines, Allen Onyema, reportedly shed tears while speaking to his people at Mbosi after years of absence.
Observations within Main Market and other commercial hubs in Onitsha also suggest that a significant proportion of traders and apprentices (boi-bois) are origins of the said state. This demographic pattern is widely acknowledged within trading circles and reflects long-standing migration and commercial networks. In itself, this reality does not imply wrongdoing and should not be construed as such.
However, a possible-though strictly speculative-line of inquiry is whether some individuals within this broader trading population from the state in question may have links to external, secessionist-leaning actors who could be exploiting existing economic and social tensions to instigate unrest. This question arises partly from viral videos of the protests, where many participants appeared not to resemble traders but rather an organized crowd, openly chanting slogans such as “Holy, Holy, Holy, Nnamdi Kanu is another saviour,” while displaying IPOB or Biafra-related insignia. Such imagery inevitably invites questions about coordination, motivation, and external influence.
This leads to broader concerns: Is there a wider agenda at play? If so, what might it be? Could the economic destabilization of Anambra State-particularly its commercial nerve centres-form part of a deliberate strategy?
Ndi Anambra should not be participants in any unholy alliance and scheme to burn down their state and sabotage its economy.
These personal reflections are based on observable trends, publicly available reports, and personal observation, not definitive conclusions. Any credible understanding of the situation must rely on thorough investigations by security agencies, careful analysis, and responsible public discourse-while avoiding sweeping generalizations that risk deepening divisions or unfairly labeling entire communities.
•Uche Nworah Ph.D
•Opinions, positions or thoughts expressed here are personal and strictly of the writer/author and do not represent the views of The Daily Crucible.
