The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested 15 people for alleged bank vandalism in the state’s Oron Local Government Area.
SP Odiko MacDon, the state Police Public Relations Officer, revealed this to reporters on Sunday.
He said, “We received information that some banks were attacked in Oron local government and the police immediately swung into action.
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“As we speak about 15 persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.
According to The Informant247, some youths in the community staged a protest on Friday to express their dissatisfaction with the scarcity of naira notes, destroying three banks along Oron road in the local government and a Cold Room belonging to a member of the National Assembly.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Olatoye Durosinmi expressed sadness about the situation and directed Divisional Police Officers in the affected local governments to ensure that there is no further breakdown of law and order.”
MacDon went on to say that the commissioner has urged residents to follow the law because anyone caught vandalizing public property would be dealt with harshly, and that the police would do everything possible to keep Akwa Ibom one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, residents in the affected area are already concerned that banks will not open on Monday as a result of an alleged directive from the bank employees’ union to their members not to go to work in areas where there have been attacks on banking facilities.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, a source in the area said no fewer than three banks located along Oron road in the local government and a Cold Room belonging to a member of the National Assembly were destroyed during the protest.