BANKER OR INFORMANT? THE BROADENING CRIME BASE IN NIGERIA

I was just sitting by the lounge of one hotel along Ejigbo road in Lagos when we heard gun shots. We were all saying, could that be a gun or something else? As no one could provide the answers, we all forgot about it and assumed it might not be a situation for concern. Later, when I went out to have my lunch, one woman walked into the eatery and asked if we heard the gun shots moments ago. We all said yes, she said someone was robbed outside a bank as he came out with some money he withdrew from the bank.

This sparked conversation about such similar crimes that have occurred in recent times in Lagos. The woman narrated her own ordeal in the same manner. She said, she went to the bank to withdraw her cheque from another bank in the same area someday when robbers followed her. She said the money was meant for rent for a shop she was to pay for. As she sat down inside a shop counting the money, two robbers walked up to her, one pointed gun at her saying where is the money she just withdrew. At first she thought it was a joke and she told the guy to please remove that toy from her head. Only for one of them to shout at her that until they shoot her legs then she will know that it is not a toy. That is when she realized that she is being followed and that this is actual robbery at broad day light around 10 am just a stone throw from the bank she withdrew the money from. According to her, they took all the money, her bag that contained her international passport and other items. The woman said after the robbery she went straight to the bank and told the teller that his gang members have taken the money she withdrew now that he should go and collect his own share. According to her, the teller was spellbound and altered no word in return.

Now the stories started flying from all corners by everyone in the eatery. Another woman narrated a story of another man who went to the bank, withdrew N1.5m from the bank and immediately he stepped outside the bank door, robbers attacked him and took the money. So, the man went right back into the bank and seized the phone of the teller who attended to him and accused her of informing robbers to collect his money. As everyone was watching the drama in the bank, suddenly a call came in and it was the robbers  that called the woman saying they got the money she should come and collect her own share after work. She said, immediately, the bank manager called the customer inside and refunded him his money and begged him not to escalate the matter that they will handle it in their own way.

Many more stories continued to flow from all angles all accusing Nigerian bank officers of being the masterminds to most crimes that happen after a customer has withdrawn money from the bank by informing robbers and giving details of the person and money withdrawn for the robbers waiting outside to follow the person and collect the money afterwards.

Nigerian banking culture has changed as every one is desperate to live above his or her means. In those days when people like us were in the bank, such stories were taboos. Very unheard of, as no one dares to be fingered into robbery without facing serious investigations and prosecution if found guilty in any way. But today, it seems like a norm and such staff members of the bank are allowed to remain in the bank without investigation invoked to find if the accused person is culpable. Giving them license to continue to do what they are doing.

My recommendations to banks to curb this particular crime, is to adopt what happens in civilized countries like Canada or US. Such countries, bar their employees from using their phones at work. If you are caught with your phone while at work you will be sacked. This  will certainly curb that particular crime as only the bank managers are the ones allowed to use their phones at work while anyone who intends to make any urgent business call for the bank should channel that call to a particular phone desk manned by one person to make or receive all calls on behalf of the employees while they are on duty.

Banks cannot continue to habour informants in their mist who aid and abet crime and expect their victims to return to that bank again.