Commotion as thugs beat up soldiers at Abuja’s Banex Plaza over phone sale dispute

Commotion as thugs beat up soldiers at Abuja’s Banex Plaza over phone sale dispute

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has deployed intelligence officers to Banex – an electronics and telecommunications gadgets market, in Abuja, following a conflict that ensued between soldiers and some traders on Saturday.

A viral video seen by our correspondent on X on Saturday showed a multitude of civilians overpowering some soldiers during a free-for-all fight at Banex.

The young men later broke into groups of three, attacking their targets fiercely.

A man seen in mufti was also attacked by the mob, but it is unclear if he is also a soldier.

The Defence Headquarters, and the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu could not be reached for comments as of press time.

Meanwhile, a trader who simply identified himself as Abdul, told our correspondent on Saturday that the conflict ensued over the sale of a mobile phone.

“There’s a problem at Banex now. Some soldiers came to complain about a phone, and during an argument with the traders, a fight ensued,” Abdul simply revealed.

In another video, traders were seen locking up their shops to apparently prevent being affected in a reprisal.

The military authorities have not commented on the incident at the time of filing this report.

When contacted over the development, the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh said the Commissioner of Police, Benett Igweh has deployed officers of the FCT Intelligence Response Team to the scene of the incident.

“The CP has deployed the Intelligence Response Team to the scene,” Adeh confirmed.