In Akwa Ibom State, tempers have continued to flare up among irate bank clients due to the shortage of new naira notes, as no fewer than three commercial banks were attacked by hoodlums over the weekend.
Checks showed that while normalcy had returned with a strong police presence around some banks in Uyo, the state capital, hoodlums had disrupted banking activities in some local government areas of the state as Police were having a difficult time protecting banks from being set on fire by enraged customers.
Three banks were attacked and severely vandalized over the weekend in Oron LGA, according to information from our correspondent, who claimed that “hoodlums and criminals hijacked the protest from irate clients, who could not have access to their cash.”
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According to Asuquo Etim Ating, a motorcyclist in Oron town, the United Bank for Africa (UBA), which is situated along Anwana Esin Road, as well as First Bank and Access Bank on Oron Road in Oron main town, are the affected financial institutions.
“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.
To prevent additional breakdowns of law and order, it was learned that Commissioner of Police (CP) Olatoye Durosinmi has ordered increased protection.
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