By Chris Agabi
Following the brutal coordinated armed robbery attacks on four banks on same day in Oturkpo, the headquarters of Oturkpo Local Government, Benue State, the Bankers Committee has reviewed the number of banking hours in Benue state.
Recall four banks (UBA, First Bank, Zenith, Access Bank and the Police Station in Otukpo where attached on the 20″ of October 2023, where banks’ staff and customers as well as the Police DPO and officers were killed. Unspecified amounts of money was stolen by the robbers too.
Rising from an emergency meeting in Makurdi, Benue State on the 23rd of October 2023, the Bankers’ Committee resolved as follows:
“That a six man delegation (CBN 8C, UBA, Polaris, Zenith, Sterling, Unity and First Bank Managers) immediately pay a visit to the commissioner of Police to condole with him for the loss of his men, and seek collaboration with the police for more security of the Banks, through deployment of her APC and special patrol car around the banking premises in the state. The six man committee was also mandated to visit the Executive Governor to seek his re-assurance of security of the Banks in the state to continue her business operations within the state.
“That Ail Banks in the state observe a minute silence in their bank premises across the state by 8:30am, on Tuesday, 24 October 2023, with their staff and customers in honour of the banks staff, customers and police officers that lost their lives in the Otukpo Bank robbery attack
“That All Banks and her branches across the state, with immediate effect commence her business operations from 8am to 2PM, Monday to Friday tii! January 31″ 2024, when a review of the security situation will be carried out at the Bankers Committee for amendment accordingly. That all banks staff across the state are hereby mandated to dress down and be more security conscious in their environment, especially during working hours during this Ember Months until January 31”, 2024.
“That the Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) Support be hereby increased to N200, 000.00 (two hundred thousand naira), for OMB’s while CBN is Increased to N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand) respectively. Each Bank is mandated to make her payment on a before October 27″, 2023.” It concluded.
