Banex Plaza: Army breaks silence, condemns attack on soldiers

The Nigerian Army has condemned the attack on its personnel over the weekend at Banex Plaza, Abuja.

This was contained in a statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Maj-Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Newspot recalls that the Nigerian Army shut down Banex Plaza, a shopping complex located in the Wuse 2 area of the Federal Capital Territory, following an attack on some of its personnel over the weekend.

According to the statement, 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.

Nwachukwu noted that the soldiers attacked were unarmed, did not engage in any form of aggression, and posed no threat to anyone, adding that the cruel treatment meted out to them was entirely unwarranted and unjustifiable.

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The army spokesman said 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.

He said the development calls for an extensive investigation to determine both the immediate and underlying causes of the incident.

Nwachukwu added that the investigation ultimately aims at ensuring the security of the Federal Capital Territory and preventing such unwarranted attacks on its personnel and other security operatives, as has been observed in other areas, such as the unfortunate attack in Okuama.

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

“The Nigerian Army 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,” he said.