THERE have been several reported cases of attacks on banks by armed robbers lately. In Owerri, the capital of Imo State, a gang of dare-devil armed robbers numbering over 23, laid siege to a commercial bank for several hours, killing two security guards, three customers and carted away huge sums of money. Eyewitness account says it was like a civil war as bullets issued from the barrel of guns wielded by men of the underworld, like a fast-flowing tap.

THERE have also been several reported cases of armed robbers attacking the security convoy of bullion vans, and making away with large sums of money and in several cases, innocent souls are lost while the banks continue to count their losses. Edo state has lately had its fair share of the activities of men of the underworld. The Unity Bank in Igarra was recently invaded by robbers, killing and maiming innocent citizens and stealing undisclosed sums of money.

AN old generation Bank in Sabongida-Ora was equally attacked by robbers for about the third time in two years. The hoodlums killed two unarmed private security guards and made away with the huge sums they robbed from the bank.

PIQUED by the situation in the northern part of Edo State, traditional rulers in Afemai land last week held a meeting at the palace of the Aidenogie of South –Ibie, Alhaji Kelvin Danesi, and expressed concern over the attack on the banks especially as the year was drawing to a close and the yuletide approaching.

THE traditional rulers even entertained the fear that, the situation might spread to other parts of the state if appropriate steps are not taken by stakeholders to forestall further attacks.

THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER is equally disturbed at the rising crime wave in the state and in the country at large, particularly the attack on banks. Although, it is not completely a new phenomenon in the country, we expect the Nigeria police to rise up to their responsibilities.
No doubt, the police have been battling armed robbers, losing many of their men in the process. But they must not rest on their oars.

IT is not uncommon for a rise in crime when the yuletide is approaching, but we expect that over time the police would have taken note of such a trend and fashioned out ways to also get the criminally-minded elements caught off guard.

THE federal government, through its security agencies must check the proliferation of arms in the country. Very often, the guns and other ammunition used by the armed robbers are so sophisticated that one wonders how they came about them. WE believe that aside tracking and dealing with armed robbers, efforts should be renewed to deal with all illegal arms dealers in the country.

BESIDES the role of the police, we expect every citizen to be security conscious and should at all times be prepared to volunteer timely information to the police so that they can play their role more effectively in the society. We are also not unaware of the activities of some criminally-minded bank officials even some highly placed one, who connive with armed robbers to rob their places of work.
WE have in the past heard some arrested armed robbers confessing the involvement of some officials who pass information to the dare devils.

BEYOND these, THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER also expects the banks to take steps to guarantee security at all times.

IT is not enough to complain of the weakness of the police. Banks should employ the use of latest security devices and gadgets to curb the activities of criminals. Also, we expect the banks to engage more in cashless transactions as obtained in developed countries. The use of e-banking devices should be developed and spread to our local communities. The use of ATM cards should be encouraged and developed. Banks should avoid the movement of physical cash while blaring sirens that attract men of the underworld.

OUR position is anchored on the fact that some of the reported cases are avoidable if only banking policies as issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the internal guidelines of the commercial banks themselves, are strictly observed.

MEMBERS of the public also have a major role to play. It is only in Nigeria that citizens don’t always see themselves as stakeholders in the task of crime prevention and control. Citizens must wake up to be prepared to report any suspicious movement to the police because it will serve no one any good to cry when the head is off. Criminals are citizens who live amongst us. It is our collective duty to ensure that such elements are identified and gotten rid off, otherwise, nobody knows whose turn is next on the line of attack

THE police, however must treat such information in strict confidence and not to expose citizens to danger by revealing identities of those who volunteer information to them.

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