Why Banex Plaza Should Remain Closed, Says Ex-CDS Irabor

Former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor (rtd), has said that Abuja’s popular commercial centre, Banex Plaza, should remain shut until those who assaulted military officers at the premises were brought to book.

Irabor, who spoke in an interview on Tuesday, expressed support for the closure of the Banex Plaza. According to him, it is not right for anyone to raise fingers on a uniform personnel no matter the provocation.

LEADERSHIP earlier reported a clash between traders and two soldiers at Banex Plaza, located at Wuse Area 2 district of Abuja on Saturday. The incident resulted in traders closing their shops to avoid being caught after military officers arrived at the scene and shut down the plaza.

According to General Irabor, failure to apprehend the culprits could lead to a state of anarchy.

He said, “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 to be brought to justice. This is because if we fail to do so, we will be calling for anarchy.”

Irabor appreciated the role of the media in disseminating informotion about the incident. He, however, advised that context should be put in place when setting agenda for discussion.

“The media has created an awareness that in our civics, there are people you must respect. You have to put the context in setting the agenda for this discussion. The populace needs to be re-educated to understand the place of national security and the responsibility of each and every one of us in preserving the sanctity of our various establishments,” he stated.

Irabor urged the leadership of Banex Plaza management to cooperate in the ongoing investigation so as to bring the perpetrators of the crime to book.

“I believe Banex Plaza has leadership because they need to cooperate appropriately so that whatever investigation is ongoing can be concluded and they must also cooperate by bringing out those who committed the crime,” he added.