Hoodlums Hijack Protest, Attack 3 Banks In Akwa Ibom

Following scarcity of new naira notes, tempers have continued to rise amongst angry bank customers in Akwa Ibom State as no fewer than three commercial banks were attacked by hoodlums over the weekend.

LEADERSHIP Sunday-checks revealed that though normalcy has returned with heavy Police presence around some banks in Uyo, the state capital, banking operations have been disrupted by hoodlums in some local government areas of the state as Police had a hectic time, safeguarding banks from being torched by angry customers.

In Oron LGA, our correspondent gathered three banks were attacked and seriously vandalised at the weekend following an allegation that “hoodlums and criminals hijacked the protest from angry customers, who could not have access to their cash.”

The affected banks, according to a motorcyclist in Oron town, Asuquo Etim Ating, include the United Bank for Africa (UBA) located along Anwana Esin Road as well as First Bank and Access Bank on Oron Road in Oron main town.

“They customers were angry that their hopes of getting cash had been dashed following repeated announcements that there were no cash deliveries on that day from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“At that point, anger grew amongst the customers, who besieged the premises, destroyed the barricade and parts of the buildings, but the intervention by Police operatives prevented the hoodlums, who later hijacked the protests, from setting the bank buildings ablaze,” a crayfish dealer at the Oron Beach market, Atim Bassey, told our correspondent.

However, it was learnt, the Commissioner of Police (CP) Olatoye Durosinmi, has ordered more security beef-up to forestall further breakdown of law and order.