What Happened In Banex Plaza Is Not The Way To Go – DHQ

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has condemned the confrontation that occurred recently at the Banex Plaza in Abuja between military personnel and some civilians.

The DHQ, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, released by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, described the attack on soldiers by civilians are self-sabotage.

It added that this is not the way to go, as the military needs civilian support to win the war against bandits in the country.

The DHQ statement recalled how the soldiers have been fighting terrorism and putting their lives on the line for civilians for more than ten years, stressing that they need their moral to be at the highest.

It added that if military personnel go out of their way or make errors, such incidents should be reported so things do not deteriorate or go out of hand.

“The people want us to win the war against terrorists and bandits, and to win the war it is the military that the civilians need. We are the ones who are out there fighting the battle, and we need the support of the civilians to win this battle. So, we need each other.

“What happened in Banex Plaza in Abuja is not the way to go. Jungle justice is not the way to go. It is not the way to go for the civilians, especially since the soldiers are putting their lives on the line for civilians. They deserve that respect.

“ However, our soldiers are humans and as human beings they make mistakes or errors. So when they err please report them and the military justice system will take care of it.

“We need the morale of our soldiers to be at its maximum for them to fight. We need their fighting spirit. We have been fighting terrorism war for more than 10 years. There are soldiers that suffer post traumatic disorder. So please let common sense prevail. If our troops were here please report them.

“The military, like other security forces, maintains esprit-de-corp, and when the junior ones are being attacked, like what happened in Banex plaza, we have to calm them down, so that things do not deteriorate,” the statement reads.

Naija News recalls some civilians engaged soldiers in a physical fight over phone issues at the Banex Plaza Abuja on May 18.

This led to the deployment of military personnel and police to maintain law and order while the plaza itself was shut down for about a week before it was recently reopened.