Pro-democracy advocate Omoyele Sowore strongly criticized the temporary closure of Banex Plaza in the Federal Capital Territory by the Nigerian Army. This closure came in response to an attack on soldiers over the weekend, allegedly carried out by a group of hoodlums.
Sowore expressed his disapproval of the action, deeming it unjustified and excessive. In a statement released on Wednesday, he urged the Nigerian Army to refrain from allowing off-duty military personnel to wear uniforms, citing instances where such individuals have been implicated in serious offenses.
He highlighted the unprecedented nature of civilian spaces being shut down due to a disagreement between soldiers and civilians, stressing that even during military rule, such measures were uncommon. Sowore pointed to recent incidents such as the leveling of Okuama village in Delta State and the arbitrary abduction of journalists as examples of military overreach.
He emphasized the need for an immediate cessation of such repressive actions, including the arbitrary shutdown of markets, asserting that these practices are unacceptable and detrimental to civil liberties.