‘It’s reckless behaviour’ — police warn banks in Ogun over ‘false robbery threats’

The Ogun police command has warned banks and others financial institutions in Ijebu-Ode and its environs that it would not tolerate any false robbery alarms in the state.

In a statement on Sunday, Abimbola Oyeyemi, the state police spokesman, said the Ogun command had noticed unwarranted closure of banks and financial institutions in Ijebu-Ode and its environs due to alleged robbery threat.

He said the closure has affected residents of the state.

“The command is appalled at this unprofessional behaviour of bankers in that axis despite continuous assurance of their safety by the police and other security agencies,” the statement reads.

“Their recent action can only be described as treacherous and mischievous, as they are not the only bankers in the state and the country at large, yet they are the ones complaining of robbery threat every now and then.

“The command has noticed that once they are bent on this mischief, they close their minds and eyes to other security arrangements put in place by the police in conjunction with other security agencies to protect them.”

Oyeyemi said the banks claimed that armed robbers wrote to notify them of a planned attack, but the banks did not make the letter available to the police for investigation.

“It is bad that from time to time, the banks cried wolf, carelessly and recklessly, and in none of these numerous occasions has any robbery taken place,” he said.

He said the bankers could expose banks in the vicinity to security threats by making public “real and imaginary” security lapses, rather than quietly discussing them with security agencies.

“The command, therefore, wishes to warn that the bankers would surely be the first set of suspects if anything unusual in the form of bank robbery (God forbid) happens in the area, at least for them to disclose their ceaseless sources of information,” the statement reads.

“Meanwhile, the commissioner of police  Edward Ajogun, has directed a full scale investigation into this current claim of receiving a letter from armed robbers.

“He reaffirmed that the police are doing everything within the ambit of the law to guarantee the safety of lives and property of people in Ogun State, the banks and others financial institutions inclusive.”