The South-East may be breathing easier security-wise, but Mondays still carry the shadow of the past — a quietness that refuses to die. Across Aba, Onitsha, Nnewi, Okigwe, and pockets of other commercial hubs, shutters remain down, markets half-awake, banks cautious, and streets only beginning to stir long after noon. Yet in the capital cities, life rolls on like nothing ever happened.
Dig deeper, and you’ll find a mix of fear, trauma, habit, and silent protest still shaping the rhythm of the region.
Communities in Imo that recently broke free from violent gangs are still trying to remember how normal feels. The sit-at-home that once crippled Owerri has weakened, but scars linger. The Court of Appeal in Owerri, for example, stays shut every Monday — and it’s no mystery why. Years ago, a justice’s driver was kidnapped on a Monday, vanished without a trace, and the memory hangs like a storm cloud. Staff say it wasn’t just a tragedy; it was a warning they refuse to ignore.
In places like Orlu and Orsu, where attacks hit hardest, people speak carefully, almost fearfully. “Leave that matter for now,” one community leader said, hinting that the wounds are still fresh and the area remains on guard. And from Okigwe, residents echo the same sentiment: survival first. After years of bloodshed and abandoned ancestral homes, many simply see Monday as a day to stay out of harm’s way. As one man put it bluntly — no one fights someone who’s armed and unstable. Better to lose a day’s income than your life.
But in Anambra, the story shifts. Awka has moved on, but in Onitsha and Nnewi, Mondays have slowly turned into an unofficial rest day — a habit born out of fear but now maintained by choice. For over two years, people stayed home because of violence. Now, even with security restored, they’ve grown used to reclaiming the day for rest. Some residents say it’s no longer about insecurity; it’s simply a new culture.
Still, fingers point at the government and banks for allowing the sit-at-home spirit to solidify. Many believe the authorities didn’t push hard enough, early enough, to get businesses and financial institutions to reopen. Banks, meanwhile, seem to enjoy the extended weekend — Saturday to Monday off — and traders feel abandoned.
Yet on the streets, at the grassroots level, a quiet comeback is happening. Roadside sellers and small hustlers in Onitsha and Nnewi have resumed full Monday operations without fear or interference.
The big shops may still be locked, but the streets are slowly waking up — proving that even a long-standing tradition of silence can’t hold back commerce forever.