The frustrated customers in Lokoja protesting, asked the commercial banks to either change the daily narration of “no money” or close down.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, some of the affected banks include GTB, Unity, Zenith, Access and Unity Bank situated along IBB Way, shut down due to the protest.
A customer identified as Ibrahim, told the NAN that their protest was as a result of the allegations that the banks refused to give or dispense the newly redesigned Naira notes to customers in flagrant disobedience to the Central Bank of Nigeria directive.
He said, “We have been scavenging across these banks without success in getting any money that could help us and our families survive these hard times
“You can see how angry most of us are, and it’s just for a singular reason that we can’t access money that we can use to feed our families.
“Today, we have decided that no official of First bank, GTB, Unity, Zenith, Union and Access banks will be allowed to enter his/her offices to work.
“They will only be allowed in if they can assure us of money that could go round today,” the protester said.
Another customers, Mrs Jummai, said “it serves them (banks) right today, coupled with the punishment they have been giving us over our own money that we kept with them”.
A bank official with GT Bank who spoke with NAN on the condition of anonymity described the situation as “very unfortunate”.
“What our customers don’t know is that the money we get for our daily transactions is not always enough to go around them.
“As it’s now, we have no option than to stay away from office for today since the customers are tensed and have locked us out,” the source lamented.
According to NAN’s findings, the situation was different at Polaris, UBA, Eco and Fidelity banks, situation on the same IBB Way. The banks were seen dispensing cash to their customers.
