Mob Attacks: Banks Shut Branches As Naira Scarcity Crisis Worsens Nationwide

Following several attacks on banks and vandalisation of properties within their premises across the Country, head offices of banks have directed their branches to shut down banking halls operations except for urgent cases, Nigerian NewsDirect report.

This is even as branch managers of banks complained of new Naira notes supply shortage.

Efforts by staff of Nigerian NewsDirect to withdraw cash from five banks proved abortive. The managers complained that there was no allocation of New Naira from the Head office. He complained that staff resumed work with no operation awaiting arrival of New Naira notes from the Head office. He lamented that there was no cash deposit also from customers which paralysed operations of the bank.

Investigation by Nigerian NewsDirect shows that in Lagos, several branches of First Bank, United Bank of Africa, GT Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Wema, Fidelity, Sterling, Providus, Citibank banks, shut banking halls and opened only for Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), as customers coming for cash transactions and transfer on counter were not allowed into the premises

On Monday, cars and properties of a First Generation Bank parked were vandalised at Sango-Ota in Ogun State. Also at Abule Egba in Lagos State, customers of a first generation bank attacked female officials of the bank on demand for N50,000 and could only receive N2,000.

Recall that since citizens began to face frustration from getting withdrawals from their banks, customers have begun to take aggressive actions at the counters and cubicle of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), a development that led some banks beefing up their premises with more security personnel.

The aggression over the weekend recorded attacks in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital where the facility of a Wema Bank was vandalised by irate mob, while in Benin, at the University of Benin there was a face off between students and military men over withdrawals at the ATM, a development that led to vandalism.

Investigation on Monday revealed presence of heavy security personnel at the Oke Ilewo area of Abeokuta, the host Community of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Ogun state branch.

In the early hours of Monday, Ogun CBN and its environs woke to witness the presence of heavily deployed security operatives to man the Apex bank branch for fear of possible attacks by angry mob.

It was gathered that there was an intelligence report that some individuals might attack the bank over their inability to access the newly redesigned Naira notes.

It was reported that heavy armed policemen were positioned at strategic locations to prevent any breakdown of law and order.

There was also report that, some commercial banks in Abeokuta restricted access to their premises over the fear of being attacked by angry customers.

In most banks, customers were only allowed to use ATMs instead of going into the banking halls.

In breaking of events, there were reports of rampage attacks recorded in Ibadan, Oyo, a neighbouring State and other parts of the Country.

While, customers are still in queues waiting to withdraw money from ATMs with limited success, the anger and frustration of customers continue to grow.

Visibility report shows that the scarcity of the new Naira notes continue to bite harder in Ogun State and drastically affected businesses and other activities in the State.