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Shops, banks shut over robbery scare in Akure

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Residents and bank workers in Akure, the Ondo State capital were thrown into a panic on Wednesday when commercial banks in the town shut down their operations over armed robbery fears.

Information reaching WuzupNigeria suggested that the banks closed for the day by 11a.m following information that armed robbers were in town.

The panic comes about two weeks after some robbers attacked two commercial banks in Ile Oluji, the headquarters of Ile Oluji/Oke Igbo Local Government Area of the state, killing four people including policemen.

Following the information, many shop owners in Akure hurriedly closed their shops and went back home while motorists plying the routes of the bank area, diverted their movements to another route.

The development caused a light pandemonium in the town as many people in some areas such as Oja Oba, Alagbaka, Oke Aro, Oyemekun and Oba Adesida Road, ran away from the area immediately, The Punch reported.

A bank official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said that the information had been on since last week that there might be possible attacks on banks in Akure by bandits.

“We have been hearing the information that robbers are in the town and may attack any of the banks at any moment. Today ( Wednesday) again, another security information came that robbers may attack the banks , so we have to be proactive and quickly shut our gates . “

Shortly after, it was observed that teams of security -the police and the soldiers were patrolling the popular areas to ensure the maintenance of law as and order while some policemen were seeing conducting stop and search on the people at the Oyemekun Road.

Many bank customers who could not withdraw inside the banks resorted in using the Automated Teller Machine and the Point of Sales Service to withdraw their money.

Reacting to the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Mr Femi Joseph said there was no robbery case anywhere in the town and in the state in general.

He said,

“We make bold to say that the story bank robbery is not only false and mischievous but also wicked and lacks substance as no such incident happened anywhere in the state.

“We urge the good people of the state to disregard this rumour, as it is nothing but a blatant lie from the pit of hell. Our men are everywhere across the state to deal with any manner of crime or criminality. “

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