The Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba AbdulGaniy Salaudeen, has invited residents of his community to an urgent meeting on the way forward following the closure of banks in the town due to the absence of policemen to protect the financial institutions there.
Recall that police stations in Iseyin were looted and burnt down during the #EndSARS protest in October, with hoodlums carting away police arms and ammunition.
Due to this, it was gathered that the policemen are yet to resume work in the town because their patrol vans were burnt and there is no place for them to use as a station.
A resident of the town, who identified himself as Sodiq, told our correspondent that Operation Burst had been protecting the banks since the violence that trailed the October #EndSARS protest.
Sodiq said men of Operation Burst, however, withdrew from protecting the banks since Monday, saying that was not part of their mandate.
He said this made the banks to close down awaiting when there would be adequate security for them to resume work.
He said, “I cannot blame the banks’ officials because armed robbers are aware that the police have not resumed and Operation Burst has withdrawn its men from the banks. They are vulnerable to attacks and closing down their operations is the best decision to save their own lives especially at this end of the year period.”
The Aseyin of Iseyin confirmed the development. He said residents had been traveling to Ibadan and other towns for banking transactions since the banks in the town closed.
He said, “Yes, I also learnt that banks have closed. We have been traveling to Ibadan, Oyo, and other places to use banks. Life must go on. My people have been going through difficulties in this regard but we are working to address it.
“if we say the police have not resumed, where will the police resume to even if you ask them to resume? Where is their station? Burnt. Where are their vehicles, they are burnt? Two armor personnel carriers were burnt apart from other vehicles during the protest. What are they going to use? Their guns were stolen.
“We are living in fear now. But to find a way forward, I have invited the entire community to a meeting tomorrow.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, has yet to respond to an inquiry sent to him to know when the police will return to their duty posts in Iseyin.