Hundreds of branches of banks
in Ota, Abeokuta and some
other adjoining towns in Ogun
State closed to customers before
mid-day on Friday as dare-devil
armed robbers raided two banks
in Ota, Ado Odo/Ota Local
Government of the state.
The bandits, who were said to
have arrived the Oju Ore
Junction area of the Sango-
Idiroko Road around 9.30a.m,
were said to have blown open
the security doors of the United
Bank for Africa Plc with
dynamites before launching a
similar attack on the Sterling
Bank Plc, where unspecified
amount of money was said to
have been carted away.
This incident came barely 48
hours after the state government
donated an Armoured Personnel
Carrier to the state police
command to be deployed in
Ijebu Area.
A resident of the area, who
called her husband in Abeokuta
to ensure that the man, a
political office holder, was away
from danger, said the area was
thrown into utter confusion as
bank customers, motorists and
commuters fled the area as the
hoodlums shot sporadically to
take control of the banks.
A police source, who spoke with
our correspondent on condition
of anonymity on Friday, claimed
that the robbers blew open the
doors of the affected banks as
the doors were bullet proof.
The top police officer, however,
denied claims that the bandits
were not challenged by the
police while also claiming
ignorance that the hoodlums
escaped with their loot from the
two banks.
The resident, a woman in her
30s, told our correspondent that
the robbers operated freely after
she noticed some stranded
passengers, who fled the vicinity
of the banks along the main
road to adjoining streets.
As news filtered in that some
bandits were raiding banks, the
other banks in Ota and
Abeokuta as well as other offices
and shops in the commercial
areas of Ota, locked their doors
to customers, claiming that they
had closed for the day.
Some aggrieved bank customers,
who were in the finance houses
from 12.00p.m, expressed their
displeasure at being locked out
and prevented from collecting
money for the weekend.
The Police Public Relations
Officer of the state command,
Mr. Olumuyiwa Adejobi, told our
correspondent that he would
not be able to confirm the
incident as he was “out of town.”
A top police source at the State
Police Command Headquarters,
Eleweran, Abeokuta, confirmed
the attack, saying the banks
should support the state
government to beef up security.
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