Abuja: Soldier allegedly slaps woman into coma in Banex Plaza

One of the military personnel stationed at Banex Plaza, a popular phone market in the Wuse 2 area of the Federal Capital Territory, has allegedly slapped a woman into a coma.

Banex Plaza has been closed for the fourth consecutive day following a violent altercation between traders and soldiers on Saturday.

According to our correspondent, the woman, who fell into a coma on Tuesday, was walking on the barricaded road when she was stopped by soldiers.

The soldiers confronted the woman for crossing the barricade at the plaza. After questioning her, one of the soldiers reportedly slapped her with such force that she collapsed.

She was immediately placed into a van, which quickly left the scene. It is unclear whether she was being transported to a hospital for medical attention.

Meanwhile, traders have been expressing their frustration over the military’s actions, stating that the situation could have been resolved without the need for a lockdown.

The incident at Banex Plaza began after a trader allegedly sold a defective phone to a customer, who then called in soldiers. Although the police initially intervened to resolve the dispute, soldiers later returned to the plaza, prompting traders to shut down.

Several videos on social media show soldiers chasing crowds and punishing individuals.

The army has not issued an official statement regarding the events at the plaza, and Onyema Nwachukwu has not commented as of the time of this report.