On Saturday afternoon, Banex Market in Wuse, Abuja, became the scene of a violent confrontation when suspected thugs attacked soldiers in uniform, causing widespread chaos.
News About Nigeria gathered that the altercation began with a disagreement between the soldiers and some individuals in the market. A trader who witnessed the incident said, “I wasn’t there, but I called my colleagues at the shop, and they told me there was an argument between some youths and soldiers.”
A video of the incident shows a group of young men arguing with two soldiers before breaking into smaller groups and attacking their targets with ferocity. A man in mufti was also attacked by the mob, but it’s unclear if he was a soldier. Despite the efforts of an armed mobile policeman to intervene, the thugs continued their assault.
In another video, traders were seen locking up their shops, seemingly to avoid being caught up in a potential reprisal.
The military authorities have yet to comment on the incident, but reports indicate that soldiers have returned to the scene in large numbers.
This publication understands that efforts to reach Josephine Adeh, spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, were unsuccessful, as multiple calls to her line went unanswered.
The military has a history of taking strong action against attacks on its personnel, as seen in the recent operation in Okuama, Delta State, where soldiers on a peace mission were killed.
On March 14, 17 soldiers and an unknown number of locals lost their lives in the community.
