Army agrees to reopen Banex plaza after soldiers’ clash with traders

The Nigerian Army says it has agreed on the “immediate reopening” of the popular Banex Plaza in Wuse 2, Abuja.

The agreement to reopen the plaza comes about a week after it was shut down over a clash between some traders and two soldiers of the Nigerian Army at the complex.

On May 18, there was pandemonium at the plaza when some traders engaged two soldiers in a fight.

Witnesses said the soldiers visited the plaza to complain about a phone, which led to an argument with the traders, and a fight ensued.

After the incident, many shop owners and traders quickly closed for the day to avoid being caught up in a reprisal attack.

On May 20, some military personnel arrived in about five Hilux vehicles and reportedly shut down the plaza.

However, the army headquarters said the plaza was temporarily shut down to enable the arrest of the hoodlums who attacked two soldiers at the complex.

In a statement on Monday, Oyema Nwachukwu, director of army public relations, said an agreement was reached after a meeting with the management of the plaza and other stakeholders.

“In response to this incident, a high-level meeting was convened in the Office of the National Security Adviser, including the Principal General Staff Officer to the NSA, the Commissioner of Police FCT, the FCT Director of the Department of State Services, the Leadership and Management of Banex Plaza, a Representative from the Directorate of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, and the National Chairman of the Mobile Phone Traders Association,” the statement reads.

Nwachukwu said the meeting aimed to “identify and apprehend the perpetrators of the attack on the soldiers and ensure the continued security of the nation’s capital.

He added that the meeting agreed that shop C93, where the incident happened, should be locked up immediately.

The army spokesperson said it was also agreed that the owners of the shop who orchestrated the mob attack on the soldiers should be arrested.

“Market leaders are to remain vigilant and report any remaining perpetrators to the authorities,” Nwachukwu said.

“Furthermore, the two individuals already arrested have been handed over to the headquarters of the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police for further action.”

He also said the army would “thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the presence of its personnel at the plaza and the subsequent attack”.

“It must be reiterated that acts of violence against military personnel are not only condemnable but also pose a significant threat to national security and public order,” he added.

“We therefore urge members of the public to exercise caution and restraint when interacting with military personnel and other security operatives, especially when they are in uniform.”

He further said there are established channels for reporting grievances or misconduct by personnel to the appropriate authorities.