Former Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has expressed his support for the closure of Banex Plaza in Abuja, emphasizing that an attack on soldiers is an attack on the state. Irabor shared his views during an interview with Arise Television on Wednesday.
The controversy erupted following an incident at Banex Plaza in the Wuse 2 area of Abuja, where a clash between traders and soldiers occurred on Saturday. Eyewitnesses reported that the conflict started when soldiers visited the plaza to complain about a faulty phone, which escalated into a heated argument and physical confrontation with the traders.
In the wake of the altercation, many shop owners and traders closed their businesses early to avoid potential reprisals. By Monday, military personnel arrived in approximately five Hilux vehicles and shut down the plaza, prompting widespread attention and debate.
Commenting on the incident, General Irabor described it as deeply regrettable and unequivocally condemned any act of violence against uniformed personnel. “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,” he stated.
Irabor further justified the closure of Banex Plaza, arguing that it should remain shut until those responsible for the attack are brought to justice. “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,” he asserted.
