Popular shopping destination Banex Plaza has reopened following a week-long closure caused by clashes between soldiers and traders.
News About Nigeria reports that the plaza resumed operations on Monday, May 27, at around 2:30 pm.
The closure was a result of a confrontation between traders and members of the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police, which escalated into physical altercations.
The Nigerian government had temporarily shut down the facility to maintain public safety and order.
Negotiations between the military authorities and the traders involved in the altercations led to the reopening of the plaza.
This agreement has been met with relief by many customers and business owners who frequent the busy electronics and telecom centres.
The conflict that led to the closure began on May 18, 2024, when a video surfaced online showing youths, believed to be traders, beating soldiers at the shopping centre.
The altercation reportedly started due to a misunderstanding between a phone seller, Kola Suleiman Ibrahim, and a yet-to-be-identified soldier.
In retaliation, four military police officers confronted the traders, leading to the plaza’s closure for over a week.
Traders and tenants at Banex Plaza have expressed their frustration over the prolonged closure, estimating losses of approximately N7 billion.
The executive committee of the Banex Plaza Tenants Association, led by Chairman Chibuike Nzedinma and Vice Chairman Cornelius Olayemi, voiced their concerns at a press conference in Abuja over the weekend.
“If we are to put a figure to it, I am sure it is up to N7 billion that we have lost,” said Nzedinma.
He said that the closure affected not only traders but also banks, consulting firms, and other professional services housed in the plaza.
“There are more than 800 shops in Banex, both the old and the new plaza, and nearly 5,000 people, including staff and business owners, have been impacted,” he added.
Olayemi said that the closure has taken a toll on various businesses and professionals operating within the plaza.
He appealed to the federal government to allow the reopening of the premises while investigations continue.
“We are very law-abiding, very peaceful,” Olayemi stated. “A lot of us are graduates who ventured into entrepreneurship. We unequivocally condemn the attack on the soldiers as reprehensible and not representative of the peaceful image of the plaza and its tenants since inception.”
