Photo: Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi
The police in Ogun have told banks and other financial institutions in Ijebu-Ode and environs that they would not tolerate any false robbery alarms.
Decrying incessant closure of banks in the town, police spokesman in Ogun, Abimbola Oyeyemi, described the banks’ action despite police assurances of adequate cover as “unprofessional”, adding that it was “treacherous and mischievous” for the banks to cry wolf about an impending attack yet failing to give the police actionable evidence to work on.
“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,” the spokesman noted.
He said that the banks claimed that armed robbers wrote to inform them that they would attack them but did not make the letter available to the police for investigation and possible apprehension of those behind it.
“It is bad that from time to time, the banks cry wolf, carelessly and recklessly, and no robbery has taken place in any of these numerous,” he said.
He expressed worry that the bankers could expose banks in the vicinity to security threats by making public ‘real and imaginary’ security lapses rather than quietly discuss 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 happens in the area, at least for them to disclose their ceaseless sources of information.
“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 life and property of people in Ogun State, the banks and others financial institutions inclusive,” he stated.