Robbery

By Muhammad Habibat Sani

Residents of Abaji, a prominent town in Abuja, lament the prolonged closure of the only bank in the area. The closure, prompted by a series of recent robbery incidents, has left the community reeling.  

This development has brought significant hardship to the residents, particularly business owners and individuals who depend on the bank for daily transactions and upkeep.  

For several months now, the bank has remained shut following a robbery incident that resulted in the tragic loss of lives.  

The wave of robberies in the town has not only claimed lives but also disrupted economic and commercial activities, leaving the community in a dire situation.  

Many residents of Abaji, particularly business owners, have resorted to travelling to neighbouring towns such as Gwagwalada and Lokoja to carry out banking transactions.  

It would be recalled that earlier this year, daredevil robbers stormed the bank in Abaji, killing some members of the community and injuring others, including security personnel.  

Since the tragic incident, the bank has remained desolate, and management has made no visible effort to improve the situation. The affected bank has refused to resume commercial operations, citing the damage to its structure that still needs to be repaired.  

The town’s youth are also not spared from hardship. Many endure the rigorous process of traveling to Gwagwalada, about 63 minutes away, just to carry out banking transactions. Those who rely on ATMs are equally affected, as they must travel to withdraw cash or perform any form of banking activity. 

Several residents shared their frustrations with our correspondent. Ummilkhair Muhammad Sani, born and raised in Abaji, complained about her expired ATM card. She said, “Transport from Abaji to nearby towns is expensive, so I’ve left the card without renewing it.”  

Another resident, Umar Ashafa, expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation. He said, “We are at the mercy of POS (point of sale) operators. To withdraw ₦1,000, you now have to pay 100 naira and calculate the charges, and it’s a hardship. Sometimes, you have to check several shops just to find cash.”  

Ekene Arachie, the manager of Nipco Petroleum, Abaji, has raised concerns about the unavailability of banks in Abaji, describing it as a serious security threat. He stated, “The effect of the absence is very devastating. Major businesses find it difficult to handle cash. The absence of such commercial banks has done more harm than good. It has created a lacuna between businesses and banks and has given room for security challenges.”  

Similarly, Mallam Adamu, a point-of-sale (POS) operator, has lamented the difficulty of accessing cash. He said, “We have to beg big shop owners to give us cash. Normally, we get that cash from banks, but now it affects our business. Sometimes, I cannot get cash and have to close down my shop.”  

A police officer who pleaded anonymity while reacting to the bank closure explained that the police had received numerous complaints from families residing in Abaji, business owners, travellers, and petty traders.  

He said, “They are seriously affected by the bank closure as they do not have any means to transact their business with ease, especially the movement of cash and settling of debts.”  

Addressing measures being taken to prevent future occurrences, the police officer noted, “The police are putting all necessary mechanisms in place to curtail such incidents from repeating. We have embarked on building synergy within the communities in Abaji to enable them to trust and report issues on time to the police. During the last robbery operations, it was visibly noticed that no timely information was provided to the police. But be rest assured, we are seriously checking the traces of such ugly incidents.”  

He further appealed to the public for cooperation, adding, “I will also request that you, as a good citizen of Nigeria, which I believe you are, help us with information that can lead to any secret meetings or plans by the men of the underworld (robbers) before they can execute their plans, so we can arrest them on time.”  

Commenting on the police response during the robbery, he described the incident as unfortunate. Still, he commended the gallant efforts of his officers, stating, “Even without proper information to the police, we tried our best and should be clapped for. The role of the police during the robbery incident or any other robbery is to counter the robbers, and we do that by engaging the robbers in a shootout (gun battle). That is what happened during the First Bank robbery in Abaji. Regrettably, we lost one of our officers and a civilian.”  

He emphasised that despite these losses, the robbers were unable to cart away any money from the bank due to the professionalism displayed by the police. “It is important to note that because of our professional display of gallantry, the robbers were unable to remove any money from the bank.” 

By Uzair Adam

The Yobe State Police Command has dismissed a report published by an online media outlet alleging that two of its officers were involved in a recent robbery in Potiskum.

According to a statement from DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, the police spokesperson, the Command also denied accusations of obstructing court proceedings or protecting the accused officers.

The report, titled “Police disrupt court proceeding, take out colleagues accused of robbery in Yobe,” was described by Abdulkarim as “misleading and malicious.”

He clarified that no police personnel invaded a magistrate’s court to secure the release of any accused.

“There is no record of any robbery incident involving police personnel in Potiskum or elsewhere in the state,” Abdulkarim emphasized.

Setting the record straight, Abdulkarim stated that on February 23, a collision occurred between a truck and a motorcycle in Potiskum.

ASC Abubakar Umar from the Nigerian Correctional Service sought bail for the driver, which was granted, but the police retained the vehicle due to an ongoing investigation and the victim’s treatment. When Umar intervened, he was detained for obstruction.

The Area Commander subsequently ordered police personnel to return to their station, as the case involved a Fundamental Human Rights issue beyond the magistrate’s jurisdiction.

The Yobe Police Command has demanded that the media outlet retract the report and issue an apology or face legal action.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Yobe Chapter has called on the Commissioner of Police to investigate the case and ensure adherence to court orders.

By Nasiru Tijjani

Doubtless, stealing is one of the social problems bedevilling the peace and stability of almost all human societies. Therefore, stealing means taking something away from a person, shop/store, etc., without permission and without intending to return or pay for it. The problem, needless to say, is known to every reasonable person who cares to look and discuss their societal issues. Quote me anywhere that no society can fully develop and excel in all spheres of life if its members are thieves, burglars or robbers. For clarity, thieves are persons who steal things, especially secretly and without using violence. Burglars usually get into a house, office, etc., especially by force, to steal stuff, while robbers steal property from a person or public place, especially using violence.

The rampant cases of stealing are gradually becoming a new normal in our society. The culprits are always employing different strategies to safeguard themselves against an unwarranted arrest by the security agencies and other community volunteers. The community members gradually become helpless and equally lose hope about when to live in peace and comfort with their property. I don’t need to justify anything here for you, or your brother might

Since time immemorial, stealing has been discouraged by Islam and Christianity. The duo has strongly warned their followers through a significant portion of scriptures that they should shun the attitude of taking someone’s property without the owner’s consent. Apparently, the act has been classified as taboo and unethical that can only be committed by the mannerless, heartless and idle good-for-nothing person whose faculty of reasoning is abysmal. The effects of their (thieves) actions negatively affect the peaceful co-existence of the entire society either by crippling the welfare of the people or creating an unresolved hatred and enmity.

What comes first on the list has to do with parents. To me, they should not be left blameless, for they have a role to play in the proper upbringing of their children. They have been saddled with the responsibility of meeting the needs of their children, right from appropriate education to marriage. Nowadays, children are left to stand on their own feet in all walks of life. Parents are gradually disowning the mandates of their children as enshrined in the religious and cultural provisions.

Coming next after the first is peer-group influence. Children usually commit crimes under the influence of friends. This is because they typically get to know the attitude of each other better during their friendship. Psychologists have identified imitation as one of the stages of cognitive development. Therefore, children effortlessly emulate the behaviour of their friends. A friendless child is safe for not associating with rotten eggs, for he is less likely to be influenced by peers.

It is a known fact that the care of children is being placed firmly within the domain of their parents. Therefore, they (parents) should ensure that they fulfil all the mandates saddled on them. They must be answerable for their children’s failure, either for poor upbringing or anything for that matter.

The influence of some films that are of no character-building is equally associated with the topic under discussion. For example, with the recent release of Kannywood seasons, youths learn different tactics of stealing and other unwanted behaviours. “A Duniya“, a new Hausa season produced by Tijjani Asase, is a classic example of such a film. Recently, the Kano State Censorship Board has cautioned its makers and asked them to reshape the season’s activities considering the negativity of some scenes.

The human being is a social animal that cannot live in isolation without associates. However, children/ youths should not be left under the control of friends. Instead, they need to be guided/assisted in choosing or deciding on whom to befriend/mingle with.

Besides, people should reduce their quest for materialism. For instance, youths should regulate their strong desire to possess smartphones, among other things. Parents and security personnel may begin to ask the owners to account for the source, originality and anything to do with the suspected phones or any other property.

In conclusion, stealing is a correctable problem like all other social vices. I can attest without any iota of hesitation that the above-stated recommendations will surely bring a lasting solution to the unwanted act if taken into consideration. Meanwhile, I fancy the idea of not forgiving the doers of the action, for they know not the purpose of being human.

Nasiru Tijjani, Gwaram Tsohuwa, Jigawa state. He can be contacted via tijjaninasiru@gmail.com.