Posted by Samuel on Wed 22nd May, 2024 - tori.ng
It had earlier been reported that the soldiers visited the plaza to complain about a phone that was earlier purchased and this led to an argument with the traders, after which a fight ensued.
Former Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has expressed his endorsement for the Army's decision to close the well-known BANEX plaza following a clash between soldiers and traders there last weekend.
It had earlier been reported that the soldiers visited the plaza to complain about a phone that was earlier purchased and this led to an argument with the traders, after which a fight ensued.
Following the incident, many shop owners and traders quickly closed for the day to avoid being caught up in a reprisal attack. On Monday, May 20, military personnel arrived in about five Hilux vehicles and shut down the plaza. The closure has been widely condemned by some Nigerians who feel the matter should have been handled without disrupting the economic activities taking place at the plaza.
In an interview with Arise on Tuesday night, Irabor described the Banex Plaza incident as a very sad one, adding that it is no way right to raise a finger on a uniformed man. He threw his weight behind at the recent closure of the plaza.
“This applies to any uniformed person for as long as he is an agent of the state. An attack on him is an attack on the state, so any Nigerian of goodwill must condemn such an act.
"For me, I join to support the closure of Banex Plaza for as long as it takes to have anyone responsible for that dastardly act brought to justice. This is because if we fail to do so, we will be calling for anarchy.
"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.”
Irabor noted that if not for the policemen and some other private individuals who rescued the soldiers, the situation would have been worse and would have reflected poorly on the nation.
Watch the interview below: