The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has put safeguards in place to prevent future attacks on commercial banks in Benue State.
The development came when armed robbers attacked several banks in Otukpo, Benue State, on Friday, October 20, 2023.
The CBN took the actions during an emergency meeting with the management of the impacted banks in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the CBN, among other decisions, directed that “all banks and her branches across the state with immediate effect [sic] commence her business operations from 8am-2pm, Monday to Friday till January 30, 2024, when a review of the security situation will be carried out at the Bankers Committee for amendment accordingly”.
The communiqué further stated that the Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) support be increased to two hundred thousand naira (N200,000.00) for Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) while CBN is increased to five hundred thousand naira (N500,000.00).
“Each bank is mandated to make its payment on or before October 27, 2023,” the communique directed.