Banks in Akure on Monday hurriedly closed their doors to customers following rumours of possible robbery attacks.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that because of the development, many customers who came to transact business left the banks’ premises disappointed.
The effect of the rumour was felt much more because it was the first working day of the week in the month of December when many civil servants whose salaries for the month of November were just being paid.
Men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) were, however, quickly mobilised by the Ondo State Police Command to patrol the streets of Akure, particularly areas where banks were located.
The SARS teams were sighted patrolling the streets in their Toyota Hilux vans and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs).
NAN reports that the development compelled many customers to besiege ATM points to withdraw money.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Aremu Adeniran, said the command had done all that was necessary to ensure security of lives and property.
Adeniran also stated that men of the command had in the early hours of Monday arrested two suspected armed robbers.
He said the hoodlums specialised in robbing motorists on the Akure-Ilesha highway and adjoining roads in the area by blocking the roads with logs of wood.
Adeniran said the arrest was made possible through a tip-off which made the command to deploy a team of policemen to the area.
He said three suspects were caught in the act on the Ibuji-Ekiti road where they had blocked the road with a log of wood and intercepted a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number Lagos XA 715 MUS.
Adeniran said the bus, driven by one Fadeyi Adekunle of U7, Odo Oja Street, Otun-Ekiti, was loaded with plantain and travelling from Akure to Ilorin.
The driver, according to the police spokesman, claimed that the hoodlums robbed him of N20,000 and a cell phone.
“A police patrol team raced to the scene, combed the area thoroughly and engaged the three robbers in a shoot-out,” he said.
He explained that one of the hoodlums died during the encounter while the other two were arrested with the cutlasses, torchlights and the items they stole from the bus driver.
The hoodlums, he added, had been detained while investigation was in progress.