General Lucky Irabor, the former Chief of Defense Staff, has expressed support for the closure of Banex Plaza in Abuja by the Army, following a violent clash between traders and soldiers on Saturday. In an interview with Arise TV, General Irabor condemned the attack on the soldiers, stating, “An attack on a uniformed person is an attack on the state. Any Nigerian of goodwill must condemn such an act.”
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The violent incident occurred when two soldiers visited the plaza to complain about a phone, leading to an argument with traders that escalated into a physical confrontation. Witnesses reported that shop owners and traders quickly closed their stores to avoid being caught up in a potential reprisal attack. On Monday, more soldiers arrived at the plaza and shut it down.
General Irabor emphasized the importance of respecting uniformed personnel, stating, “The only men who are sacrificing their lives to ensure our collective good are members of the armed forces, the police, and other security agencies.” He also acknowledged the crucial role of the media in reporting such incidents, but emphasized the need for responsible and contextual reporting.
He said, “The media has created an awareness that in our civics, there are people you must respect. You have to put the context in setting the agenda for this discussion.
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“I believe Banex Plaza has leadership because they need to cooperate appropriately so that whatever investigation is ongoing can be concluded, and they must also cooperate by bringing out those who committed that act.”
The incident at Banex Plaza highlights the ongoing tensions between security personnel and civilians in Nigeria. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with calls for cooperation from Banex Plaza’s leadership to bring the perpetrators to justice. However, there have been growing concerns that the Army took laws into its hands by not making any recourse to the civilian authorities before closing down the plaza. Rights activists have therefore condemn this acts of self-help, which they noted shows a lack of respect for the duly constituted authority, particularly the police, which is responsible for addressing such issues.
