While soldiers threatened to beat up reporters of The Guardian, Eniola Daniel, and Punch, Dayo Oyewo, the soldiers seized the camera of African Independent Television (AIT) and sent others away. An officer of the Nigerian Army, Gaktong G. J., armed with a cane, threatened to flog journalists who were at the scene to report. He shouted that nobody invited journalists to the scene and that he had the right to do anything. While reporters were trying to explain further, he invited other soldiers to send them out of the area. “Unfortunately, there was no water in the Arena Market, and it contributed to the spread of the fire.

Source: The Guardian January 01, 2026 17:36 UTC