Robbery Scare: Banks Offer Skeletal Services

It was a tough time for residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital as commercial institutions in the city yesterday partially closed their offices to their customers some of whom were making last minute shopping for the Sallah festival.
The banks had on Wednesday locked their shops to customers over fears that armed robbers had written some of them, threatening to rob their banks.
Though the Oyo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Bashiru Azeez, had dismissed the bankers’ fears and ordered them to open for customers, the banks still kept their gates firmly locked, forcing their customers to use the Automated Tellers Machine (ATM).
By yesterday when the banks were supposed to have opened for transactions, anxious customers were disappointed as the banks ensured that their gates remained locked.
In banks which opened for business, long queues of customers wishing to transact business were noticed. Only customers with cash deposits were however allowed entry into the banking halls while those who wanted to make withdrawals were asked to use the ATM.
In some banks, the ATM cards are not functional thus subjecting customers to hard times while their efforts to enter the banks for withdrawals were rebuffed by the security personnel.
The banks’ security personnel were on hand to screen customers entering the banking halls while they ensured that only a customer entered the banking hall at a time.
Meanwhile the state police command had reinforced its security network within the ancient town as police patrols were noticed in some likely flash points in the city while light stop and search check points were also mounted along some critical areas.
Apparently shocked by the action of the banks chiefs, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 11, Mr. Tunji Alapinni, rushed down from his Osogbo zonal base to hold meetings with representatives of all banks operating in the state capital, assuring them of maximum security of their vaults, lives and property.
Alapinni urged the banks to open for business, restating the assurance of the police command to be on top of the situation.
Police Commissioner Azeez, who also addressed the banks chiefs expressed disappointment that the banks chiefs inspite of the assurances of the police command, still went ahead to close their shops, insisting that the closure was unnecessary since the command had dispatched its men to some flash points, including banks offices to arrest the situation.