CITIZENS COMPASS– MORE updates are being associated with scarcity of Naira notes as some aggrieved bank customers, on Wednesday morning, set an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) on fire at Idi-Araba area of Lagos State.
Reason was that the ATM machine did not dispense cash as envisaged by the aggrieved customers.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development via his verified Twitter handle, @BenHundeyin on Wednesday, February 22, 2023..
Hundeyin who didn’t name the affected bank said the fire has been put off and banking activity resumed at the bank.
He tweeted thus,
Somewhere in Idiaraba this morning, some individuals got angry that an ATM ran out of cash and set fire to the machine. The nearest police patrol was despatched to the scene. Fire has been put out, crowd put under control and normal banking activities have resumed.”
Recall that there had been protests in some parts of the country over the current Naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that saw the old N500, N1000 notes ceased being a legal tender.
Several banks have been vandalised by bank customers in protest of scarcity of Naira notes across the country.
Despite the assurance of security operatives on general security of lives and property, some rioters still find their way into bank premises to vandalise ATM machines especially in Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Oyo State to mention but a few.
Apart from that of Idi-Araba, another recent one was that of Sagamu, Ogun State, where some banks were set ablaze along Sabo-Isake-Oko and Akarigbo Roads on Monday, February 20, 2023.
The incident has attracted the visit by the state Commissioner for Police, CP Frank Mbah who said over 30 suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun who also visited the scene the day after the incident said perpetrators will be brought to book.
Abiodun said the rioters had sinister motive assured that they all will be fished out of their hidden places.
