Nigerian Army authority has said that it had decided to shut down market activities at the popular electronics market in Abuja, Banex Plaza after some traders were seen in a video on Saturday gang beating some soldiers.

Nigerian Army said its decision to close the market is to avoid a repeat of what happened at Okuama community in Delta State on March 14, 2024 when gunmen suspected to be fighting for the community ambushed and murdered the Commanding Officer of 181 Army Amphibious Battalion, two majors, one captain and 13 soldiers who were said had gone to the community to ensure peace between the community and its neighbouring village, Okoloba community.

In what maybe seen as an irony, the Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Danladi Umar was seen in a video assaulting a security guard at Banex plaza in Abuja in March, 2021 but this time, traders were seen beating soldiers over an issue that is yet to be officially stated.

A video posted online yesterday indicated that the crisis started at a shop at the upper floor of one of the storey buildings in the market with a shop name Kuma Global Business Venture.

In the video, there was fighting among the security personnel and some people at the shop. One of the security personnel was seen shot teargas while running backward from attacker who was trying to use his leg to kick him.

Voices at the background of the video indicated that shop owners and attendants hurriedly closed their shops to avoid the chemical warfare burning sensation in their eyes, nose, mouths and lungs.

Punch newspaper had reported that: “One of the military personnel keeping watch at the popular phone market, Banex Plaza, in the Wuse 2 area of the Federal Capital Territory, has slapped a lady into a coma.

Banex Plaza has been shut down for the fourth day following a free-for-all fight between traders and some soldiers on Saturday.

Our correspondent gathered that the lady who fell into a coma on Tuesday was trekking on the barricaded road when she was stopped by soldiers.

The soldiers accosted the lady who crossed a barricade at the plaza.

However, after asking her some questions, one of the soldiers slapped her heavily, and she collapsed.

She was immediately rushed into a van, which sped off the scene”, Punch newspaper report ends in quote.

SaharaReporters also had stated in its report during the week that: “Personnel of the Nigerian Army have detained a shop owner identified as Caleb Onyemaeachi Chidera who honoured their invitation over Saturday’s clash between some soldiers and customers at the New Banex Plaza in Abuja.

SaharaReporters had reported how the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police on Saturday evening reportedly stormed Banex Plaza in Abuja and beat up passersby and security guards.

The assault on civilians was said to be a reprisal for an earlier free-for-all that broke out between four military police personnel and some traders at the popular electronics and telecommunications gadget market earlier on Saturday.

The soldiers’ attacks on civilians and show-of-force by the military police came a few hours after the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bennet Igweh, settled the scuffle between the soldiers and the traders at the police command.

SaharaReporters gathered the army came back to the plaza on Monday morning to arrest some people whom they claimed were involved in the assault against their officers. 

One of the identified people was Enomfon Abasiono Udofia, a trader inside the plaza who always went to Caleb’s shop to pick goods.

During a telephone conversation with SaharaReporters on Tuesday morning, Caleb’s wife said it was because of the trading relationship between her husband and Enomfon that made the army authorities invite him which he honoured on Monday evening. 

The woman mentioned that the army refused to release her husband and continue to brutalise him without any charges. 

She added that her husband “is currently being jailed at Mambilla Barracks, Asokoro, and the army authorities did not allow any of his relatives to visit him.”

She said, “My husband called me yesterday that his name was given out to the army saying he was among those that fought them. He said he told them that he had nothing to do with the situation.

“He was later asked to come see them which he honoured and since then they kept him at Mambilla Barracks at their duty room.

“I just gave birth through a CS (surgery) and I had to find him through his live location but they didn’t let me see him. They sent me away. Last night he texted me that they tortured him so badly and broke his foot,” she added”, SaharaReporters stated in quote.

Nigerian Army Spokesperson, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu in a statement issued on Tuesday stated in quote below:

“Following the recent unrest at Banex Plaza in Wuse, Abuja, on Saturday 18 May 2024, by yet to be identified hoodlums who launched a brutal attack on some Nigerian Army personnel, a swift intervention by soldiers and policemen on internal security duties salvaged the situation and rescued the attacked personnel from being lynched by the hoodlums.

It is important to note that the soldiers attacked were unarmed, did not engage in any form of aggression, and posed no threat to anyone. Therefore, the cruel treatment meted out to them was entirely unwarranted and unjustifiable.

In response to this unfortunate incident, a meeting was convened with the management of Banex Plaza to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous act by temporarily shutting down activities in the plaza to ensure that the hoodlums who have been using the Banex neighborhood as a sanctuary to pose a security threat to the Federal Capital Territory were apprehended.

This, is in furtherance of the need for extensive investigation to be conducted at the scene to determine both the immediate and underlying causes of this mayhem.

This investigation ultimately aims at ensuring the security of the Federal Capital Territory and to prevent such unwarranted attacks on own personnel and other security operatives, as has been observed in other areas, such as the unfortunate attack in Okuama.

The Nigerian Army will equally ensure that it diligently investigates the circumstances surrounding the presence of the personnel at the plaza and the attack that ensued.

Nonetheless, such acts of violence against personnel are not only condemnable, but could degenerate to a breakdown of law and order, orchestrating threats to national security.

Accordingly, the NA enjoins members of the public to exercise caution and restraint in dealing with military personnel and other security operatives, especially when they are in uniform.

There are established channels through which grievances or misconduct by personnel could be reported to the appropriate authorities. It is imperative that these channels are utilized to maintain order and respect for those who serve and protect our nation”.

As at the time of filing in this report on Thursday evening, the Banex plaza was still shut down and military personnel were said to remain in the market as military duty post.