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•Banks shut branches over fear of attack

James Sowole in Abeokuta, Fidelis David in Akure and Sunday Ehigiator

Some youths yesterday trooped out in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital and Akure in Ondo State to protest their inability to get cash from halls of commercial banks, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) as well as the lingering fuel scarcity.

In Ogun State, while a group of protesters moved from one area of the town to another on motorcycles, some other groups, trooped out at other points, blocking major roads.

The mobile protesters, were seen carrying jerry cans of petrol, which they used to make bonfires at major junctions and roundabouts in Abeokuta.

The protest took place at Sapon, Ibara, Ake, Adatan, Asero and Obantoko.

The protesters who were shouting on top of their voice condemning their inability to get access to their money in various commercial banks, made bonfires, in places, where banks were located.

During the protest, rampaging youths, attacked First Bank Sapon, and broke some glasses around the bank’s premises.

As the news of the protest spread, banks and petrol stations, hurriedly closed their doors and gates and fled to avoid, being trapped. The action of the protesters, caused commotion in major areas of the capital city.

Responding to the situation, mobile policemen, were deployed and within hours, they dispersed the protesters.

In one of the video that went viral, staff said to be of a new generation bank, were seen scaling the bank’s fence, to avoid been attacked.

Also, another video, showed a young man, said to have been shot at Sapon area of Abeokuta.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incidences, and assured members of the public to remain calm and go about their normal businesses.

He said, “We are aware of the protests in some parts of the state. Our men have been mobilised to the areas to ensure the protest is under control.

“We were able to put off the bonfire at Asero junction and we appealed to the protesters to vacate the road for motorists.”

In Ondo State, some residents of Ore, in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, staged a peaceful protest along Ore-Benin expressway to register their displeasure over the scarcity of naira notes and fuel scarcity ravaging the nation.

THISDAY observed that as at 8:30am, some of the commercial banks around Alagbaka, Akure were yet to open for operation as banks customers who were on long queue were shot out.

The Ore protest which caused gridlock in the commercial hub centre of the state made travelers plying the route stranded for some hours before intervention by security agencies

One of the protesters, Prince Adebayo Adeyemi said the recent hardship ravaging the country was quite alarming.

According to Adeyemi, in the past few weeks, residents of the town had suffered from the pain of naira scarcity, stressing that the crisis might worsen if there was no significant improvement in the supply of the new currency nationwide as the February 10 deadline to phase out the old notes draws closer.

The State Commissioner of Police, Oyeyemi Oyediran, had on Monday, met with stakeholders in the state to address the issues of scarcity, inability to access cash at financial institutions and hike in fuel price at various filling stations.

Oyeyemi noted that the command was aware of plans to embark on protest in the state as a way of showcasing their grievances, urging them not to.

The Commissioner also urged concern citizens not to embark on any form of protest as it was not healthy, considering the current security situation of the state for it not to be hijacked by hoodlums or use as a means to perpetrate other heinous crime in the state.

Meanwhile, in Lagos, as the February 10 deadline issued draws closer, branches of some major banks in some parts of Lagos yesterday left customers stranded and helpless after shutting their doors to customers desperately in need of cash

According to a source within the banking system, who pleaded to remain anonymity, “based on the various attacks in different parts of the country against bankers, there was a circular released on Monday that no branch should open if they don’t have cash (the new naira note) to dispense.

“The reason for this circular is to de-escalate any tendency of violence in any bank branch. You know if a customer walks into the bank to withdraw cash and they tell them there is no cash on the ground, they may be infuriated and thereby attack banking staff.

“Hence the best way to maintain calmness and deescalate the growing tension is to close the bank from being accessed by customers if you know you don’t have the cash to give them

“This is why if you notice today, many bank branches in Lagos and some other parts of the country are not open to customers because they don’t have the cash to dispense.”

At the Town Planning area of Lagos, a new-generation bank shut its gates as early as 9 am to customers who couldn’t carry out transactions.

The situation was also not different in CMD Road, Ikosi, and Ketu areas of the states as various bank branches in the areas were closed with customers all looking stranded outside.

At Obanikoro, two new generational banks also locked their gates against customers. Visibly angry customers gathered in front of the banks lamenting the development.