Shop owners in one of Abuja’s plazas, Banex shopping complex said they have recorded losses running to over N4m every day since the Nigerian military shut down their place of business.
THE WHISTLER reported how some traders at the Banex plaza brutalised military personnel over a faulty phone, which snowballed into a free-for-all fight on Saturday.
The shopping complex, “temporarily” out of ban to traders has been condemned, particularly by shop owners who have continued to count losses as the Banex closure enters day two.
Rita, a sales representative of a phone dealer company in Banex told THE WHISTLER that her organisation has recorded a huge loss in the last two days.
The sales representative who refused to identify the company, said her company is into both retail and wholesale outlets across the New and Old Banex complexes.
“In Banex, what we sell in a day is nothing less than N5m from retail shops while for the wholesale shops, we make at least N15m because people come to buy to resell.
“But since yesterday, we have yet to make up to N1m per day. Even now, those dealers who are lucky to have shops in other plazas are now selling at a high cost.”
The sales representative noted that although the company has one more shop outside of Banex Plaza where they now only operate, sales have drastically declined.
Also, a phone repairer, simply identified as Stanley said, he has now moved his business to the nearest plaza just to make sales, pending the reopening of the complex.
The plaza located close to the Banex Complex was not affected, and trading activities are ongoing.
Stanley said, “I am currently at the nearest plaza close to Banex but I am still stranded. Some of my clients’ phones and computers are locked in the shop. You know this was sudden, else I would have taken relevant items.”
While the attack on the military personnel has been largely condemned by Nigerians, many have also berated the action of the military to clamp down on the livelihood of traders while executing the function of the police as the lead agency for internal security.
But the Nigerian Army said it was investigating the incidents that led to the attack on the soldiers for the overall safety of the business area and the FCT in general.
The Army said the Banex shopping complex would be temporarily shut down pending the arrest of the culprits who brutalised its unarmed personnel.
On Tuesday, there were reports of military personnel stationed at the complex, battering a lady who allegedly crossed the barricade leading to the shopping complex.
Also, a shop owner who was said to have been invited by the Nigerian Army following the ongoing investigation of the matter was allegedly detained. His spouse, a new mum has lamented being denied access to see him
As of press time, the Nigerian Army said it was yet to identify the culprits.
ABUJA: ‘We Now Make Less Than N1m Daily Since Army Shut Down Plaza’— Banex Shop Owners Recount Losses is first published on The Whistler Newspaper