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One week after two banks were raided by armed robbers in Ijebu-Igbo and Babcock University in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun, commercial banks have yet to open for business.
It was reported that banks in towns like Ijebu-Ode, Ikenne, Odogbolu, Ijebu-Mushin, Ago-Iwoye, Sagamu and Ogbere did not open for business.
It was also observed that residents had to travel to neigbouring towns such as Ibadan, Ikorodu and Abeokuta for transactions.
The robbers had raided the bank in Ijebu Igbo on Feb 22, while another robbery took place on Feb.29.
Some of the residents who spoke to newsmen on Monday expressed their displeasure over the closure and the robbery attack on banks, saying the closure was affecting their businesses as well as their spending.
Mr Ayodele Kayode, a civil servant, who spoke to our correspondent in Ijebu-Ode, described the situation as annoying and embarrassing.
Kayode explained that he could hardly provide for his family since the closure of the banks a week ago.
“I have less than N200 at home and I need to buy food for my family but I cannot lay my hands on the small money I have in the bank.
Mrs Latifat Rufai, a business woman, said that the closure was affecting her business.
“My business is collapsing every day because of this bank closure. I don’t have money to transact business. This is bringing hardship to me. It is making my business to stand still.
A bank manager who spoke under a condition of anonymity, said all the bank managers in the town had agreed not to open until government was ready to provide adequate security, adding that they could no longer cope with the spate of bank robberies.
“We have been providing security by ourselves but the porous security situation in the state is not helping matters and there is nothing we can do as far as the state security is concerned.”
Meanwhile, Mr Chris Ola, an Assistant Inspector General of Police, said that the police were working assiduously to secure banks and improve the general security situation in the state.
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