Banks close shop in Awka over frequent robbery attacks

By Vincent Ujumadu

Awka -For  the second day running, banks in Awka, the capital of Anambra state, yesterday shut their gates against customers, apparently due to the frequent robbery incidents in the state. It was about the fifth time the banks refused to operate in the town this year, after robbery operation and on each occasion, the banks merely said they could not open for fear of being attacked.

Customers who thronged the banks discovered to their dismay, that there was nobody to attend to them and this affected many businesses in the town.

For instance, a workshop being held by an organisation was nearly marred because the organisers could not cash money for their logistics.

Some of the residents of Awka had to travel to either Enugu or Onitsha to transact bank businesses with its attendant risk.

Some of the people who spoke to Vanguard, wondered why the banks should be putting them in such a difficult situation, after every robbery incident in Awka, adding that the habit was adversely affecting business in the town.

Meanwhile, there were indications yesterday that it was the same gang that carried out the robbery operation in the state capital last month,  that also carried out the bank robbery on Monday.

It is believed that it was the same jeep which was used in last month’s that robbery that was also used during the last robbery operation on Monday.