• * Edo gov, Obaseki to meet IGP for special police squad
• *Govs of neighboring states strategise on joint border patrol

By Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – BANDITS  have turned  banking a major nightmare for residents and banks at various towns in  Edo Central and Edo North senatorial districts of Edo State.

Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki and Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Kokumo at the premises of Keystone Bank

At Ekpoma, banks open to customers from 10.00 am and shut by 3.00 pm due to the fear of armed robbers. In Auchi,  it is from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm, while in Igarra, it used to be from 9.00 am until a fortnight ago when a robbers struck at one of the two banks, leading to the death of at least 10 persons, including a policeman and three of the suspected robbers.

Checks by NDV  revealed that at Owan ,  comprising two local government areas, only one bank operates in Afuze, headquarters of Owan East local government area and its services are skeletal,  while in Sabongida-Ora, the only bank had been closed for over six years due to incessant robberies and killings.

Only bank in Akoko Edo locked up since 2011

Customers from these areas go to either Ekpoma or Auchi for banking operations. In Ibillo in Akoko-Edo local government area that has one of the busiest and commercially viable markets in Edo North senatorial district, the only bank put up the shutters after a deadly robbery attack in 2011.

The closest banking town for the people in the area is either Okenne in Kogi state, which has further subjected the people to more risks and then Igarra, which road is dilapidated and has had its own horrible share of dangerous robberies.

Before the up to the minute attack in Igarra, a similar operation in November 2015 left six persons dead. The two banks in the community put down the lid for almost two years before they were re-opened.

The people in the area had to travel to Auchi for their banking activities and at the time, the Igarra – Auchi road became a regular spot for armed robberies, killings and kidnapping.

They robbed me twice – Segun, block molder

“I was robbed twice while coming back from Auchi to withdraw money” a block molder who simply gave his name as Segun from Igarra told Vanguard.

“This is not a pleasant development. We heaved a sigh of relief when the two banks here re-opened less than two years ago after the 2015 attack and now,  the robbers have struck again”, a civil servant said.

Bankers, LG chair meet on security measures

Chairman, Bankers Association in the area, Beshiru Sanusi, said:  “Once it is approaching ember months like this, things like that are bound to happen and we must look for measures to curb such occurrences. We have met with the local government chairman in respect of this security issues and all the banks will cooperate with him to ensure security measures are taken from now till January to reduce these attacks.”

On when the banks in Igarra would re-open, Sanusi said that would be decided by the management of the banks

Gov Obaseki to entreat IGP for a special squad

Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, accompanied by his Chief of Staff, Taiwo Akerele and other government officials, last Monday, visited victims of the Igarra bank robbery, where he said his administration would support the families of those killed in the robbery and foot their burial bills.

He said efforts have been intensified to forestall such attacks in the future as the state government would train a total of 1,800 youths, 100 from each local government area of the state, to strengthen the state’s security architecture.

Obaseki said  he would be visiting the Inspector General of Police in Abuja “to give us a special squad to help us eliminate these heinous crimes,” adding that that he had held meetings with the governors of some of the neighboring states on the need to form a border patrol team that will strengthen security in our communities.

He urged the two banks in the locality to reopen for business promising to beef up security for their operations.