Emeka Oraetoka

It is becoming apparent to discerning Nigerians that the incessant bank robberies in the country may have been masterminded by highly placed insiders in those banks, from the clinical manners in which the robbers execute their operations. From reports of various bank robberies in the newspapers, the armed policemen on duty in these banks are usually the first casualties in these operations, in the process justifying the suggestion that bankers themselves are the authors of most of the robberies.

Recently, a friend of mine told me a story he heard from a friend of his in a business center in Abuja . According to him, this man’s son sent money to him in Abuja from abroad, through Western Union Money Transfer. On getting to the designated bank, the recipient, the father of the boy in question, converted the foreign currency sent to him by his son into his own account which he operates with the same bank, and left to his house. About two hours latter, he started receiving funny calls about the money that just entered his account. He thought of who might have given those anonymous callers information regarding his account in the bank and concluded that somebody inside the bank supplied the vital information to the strange callers. The man went back to the bank to complain of his experience to the manager in charge of the branch in question.

Another story has it that money was sent to a pastor from abroad via the same Western Union Money Transfer. Having converted the money and saved it in his account, he left to his house in satisfaction. After sometime, people started approaching him for loan ranging from Twenty Thousand Naira [N20000] to Hundred Thousand [100000]. The pastor felt embarrassed as to who informed those august borrowers of his new financial position. Just as he was thinking of what went wrong, a friend of his approached him for N20, 000 point blank. The pastor told him he was not having money. The next thing he heard from the borrower was that a "man of God" is not expected to tell lie, in reference to the pastor as a liar. Having realized that his accuser knows about his new financial status very well, he agreed to lend him the money, but on the condition that he tells him of who informed him of his financial position. The man told him that their church member who works in the bank revealed the information to him.

These scenarios here may be a tip of what is happening within the banking industry. Viewed from the foregoing angles, the helplessness of the policemen on duty in these banks is understandable as the suddenness of the attacks of the robbers could not be guarded against. For instance, how could a policeman who is unaware that the bank he is guarding is about to be robbed through insiders aid foil the operation? of course, he will naturally be at the mercy of the armed bandits for sure; notwithstanding his bravery and the sophistication of his weapon. In-fact, one of the bravest men that ever lived on earth, Julius Caesar once said that: No one is so brave that he is not disturbed by something unexpected. Caesar’s comment shows that no amount of sophisticated weapon can save somebody that is caught unawares by armed robbers, and this explains the reason behind police casualties in bank robberies. It must be understood that these robbers just like normal human beings are afraid of being apprehended in operation. Naturally, without insiders’ aid no robber, however daring can rob any bank in Nigeria because of police security. This probably explains why Niccolo Machiavelli said that no one embarks on any expedition if he sees any snag in it. Armed policemen in front of any banking premises scare armed robbers. Surely, insiders in the banks are master-minds of most organized bank robberies. The Punch report of Saturday, October 11, 2008, on: "How police busted gang that stole Intercontinental Bank’s N215m", suggested that the theory of insiders’ collaboration in most bank robberies is beyond probability.

With the possibility of insiders collaborating with men of the underworld in bank robberies, it may be impossible for police to effectively ward-off bank robberies. What this writer thinks police should do is to fashion out effective "bank robbery prevention mechanisms." Here, effort should be made by the police to sieve information on communication between bankers and members of the public from time to time. It could take the form of eavesdropping on bankers’ conversation with the people. Bank managements should be instructed to insert the clause of eavesdropping in employment letters to their workers.

The various security measures suggested by the Inspector General of Police [IGP] towards checking the menace of armed robberies in the banks must be strictly followed. For instance, the instruction by the IGP that banks bullion vans used in conveying money should be bullet proof must be obeyed by all the banks in Nigeria . The installation of Close Circuit Television [CCTV] outside the various banking premises as directed by the IG should also be complied with. To ensure complete compliance with these directives, the deadline should be backed up with penalty for any bank that fails to comply within the stipulated time.

The banks’ managements should be instructed to evolve flexible approach in the reassignment of their staff from one section to another. This approach will ensure that no worker stays long in a section to avoid funny plots. Police should encourage people who get funny phone calls on their account in the bank to lodge complaints through designated mail boxes to be placed in strategic places. The police could use this method to track any caller and know the source of his or her information in the first place. Also, routine security meetings between banks’ managements and the police leadership should be encouraged.