END ILLEGAL CLOSURE OF BANEX PLAZA

· Last Saturday, a clash occurred between some traders and three soldiers over a phone sale dispute at Banex Plaza located at Wuse 2 district of Abuja. The police promptly arrested the suspects and took them to the FCT police headquarters. According to the FCT Police Command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh:

· “Preliminary investigation revealed that one Suleiman Ahmed who had earlier gotten a phone from one Suleiman Ibrahim, a shop owner at New Banex, went with four soldiers to persuade the seller for replacement upon discovery that the phone is faulty, which met the resistance of the shop owner.

· “This action resulted in a confrontation and squabble with the military personnel. This development led some irate mobs to attack the military personnel, which led to an uproar in the environs.

· “All parties were invited for questioning. The military personnel have been handed over to their organisation for necessary action to be taken.

· “While normalcy has since been restored in Banex and its environs, the Commissioner of Police FCT, Benneth Igweh urges residents to peacefully go about their lawful businesses without fear from any quarters.”

· Shortly thereafter, about 50 armed soldiers invaded the Banex Plaza and shut it down. Instead of calling the soldiers who closed the market to order the military authorities have justified the resort to self-help. Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Army spokesman, has said that the plaza was temporarily shut so as to take time to fish out the hoodlums behind Saturday’s incident. Neither the Constitution nor the Armed Forces Act authorises the Nigerian Army to investigate criminal offences involving citizens who are not subject to service law.

· It is high time that the armed forces were made to realise that in a country where the rule of law operates, institutions and individuals are not permitted to take the law into their hands. Therefore, the Chief of Army Staff, General Lagbaja, should ensure that the Banex Plaza is reopened without any further delay. The soldiers who were beaten up in the market should be advised to press charges against their assailants. Since the scuffle in the market was video recorded, it should not be difficult for the police to identify the suspects and arraign them for assault occasioning harm.

Femi Falana, SAN, Lagos