Robbery Scare Forces Banks To Close-Up

Some commercial banks in Aba, Abia State have closed their doors to customers since Monday following threats from unknown bandits to attack the banks.

In reaction, the state government has urged the banks to reopen as there was no cause for alarm.

Mr Kingsley Emeruwa, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor attributed the Abia State insecurity in the state to sabotage by mischief makers who were bent on causing panic in the state.

The Tide investigation showed that customers now go to commercial banks in Umuahia, the Abia capital to carry out transactions.

The Tide’s source reports that the closure may have been provoked by the June 3 armed bandits attack on one of the banks in Aba.

During the attack, a yet to be disclosed amount of money was carted away while many of the bank officials and customers were injured.

Some officials of the banks who spoke with the source said they had temporarily shut their doors to customers due to alleged insecurity.

A check on the banks along Library Avenue in Umuahia showed that most of the banking premises were crowded by customers due to the influx of customers from Aba.

At the First Bank on Uzuakoli road, customers were not allowed to drive into the premises and security operatives frisked customers going into the banking hall.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ogbonnaya Onovo had on June 8 deployed additional 1000 policemen to help restore calm in the state.

Besides, the hitherto dismantled road blocks had resurfaced because of the increase in crime wave.

A human right activist, Mr. Damian Ogudike, urged the overhauling and immediate redeployment of all security operatives, especially those in the police.

Ogudike, who is the secretary, Human Rights Advocate, said that the redeployment became necessary because of intractable and sophisticated crime wave which had paralysed commercial activities in the state.

In a further reaction to the insecurity in the South Eastern states, the federal government ordered joint operations by the security agencies to check the rise in the spate of kidnapping.