The Nigerian Military has finally spoken regarding the closure of Banex Plaza in Abuja. The plaza has remained inaccessible since hoodlums assaulted certain uniformed soldiers on Saturday. While accompanying a complainant to the plaza, the soldiers were attacked by a mob that divided into separate groups.
Despite police intervention to restore order, soldiers later arrived in vans and besieged the area. Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Army spokesperson, stated on Tuesday that the plaza was temporarily closed to allow for the identification and capture of the perpetrators of the attack.
He emphasized that the soldiers assaulted were unarmed, non-aggressive, and posed no threat, rendering the treatment they received completely unwarranted and unjustifiable. In response to the unfortunate incident, a meeting was held with Banex Plaza’s management to identify and apprehend those responsible for the egregious act by temporarily halting activities in the plaza.
This action was taken to ensure that the individuals using the Banex area as a safe haven to pose a security threat to the Federal Capital Territory were apprehended. This is in line with the need for a thorough investigation at the scene to determine both the immediate and underlying causes of the violence, ultimately aiming to secure the Federal Capital Territory and prevent further unwarranted attacks on personnel and other security operatives, as witnessed in other areas, such as the recent attack in Okuama.
