Aggrieved customer threatens to burn down Calabar branch of Eco bank for inability to access his money
A Calabar, Cross Rivers State based customer of Ecobank has threatened to commit arson over inability to access cash. bur
What could have been an unpleasant
The incident occurred on Friday, 15th December 2023 at the Calabar branch of the bank.
Our Correspondent reports that what initially started as a mild drama at the Ecobank branch, located along the popular Murtala Mohammed Highway, almost snowballed into an unfortunate situation when the said customer became hysterical after bank’s officials failed to honour his request for cash to sort out “urgent and pressing family matters” this weekend.
Piqued by the “no cash” response from the cashier, the obviously furious customer, whose identity could not be easily confirmed given the rowdiness of the situation, threw caution to the wind, threatening mayhem and readiness to manhandle any of the bank staff who would dare confront him with the purported “non-availability of cash” to dispense for customers.
Clearly becoming uncontrollable and publicly announcing his intention to torch the building if his cash request is not honoured, the customer’s uncompromising stand saw him shouting on top of his voice and repeatedly warning of dire consequences for the bank and officials on duty.
Amid serious commotion in the banking hall as other customers tried in vain to calm the situation, security personnel attached to the bank were drafted to restore normalcy and as the unruly customer was being whisked, he could be heard lamenting loudly why visiting the bank to request for his money, and not for a loan facility, has suddenly become an offence for which he is now being manhandled by security operatives.
Shouting at the top of his voice, the dark complexioned ebullient man further queried if it was now wrong for members of the public to operate bank accounts for the safekeeping of their hard-earned money.
Forced out of the bank’s premises by the security men, the totally frustrated customer, who claimed to have a burial at hand, was seen narrating his plight to other customers, even as he kept asking no one in particular what the bank wants him to do in the circumstance.
As frayed nerves calmed down in the banking hall, some bank staffers who were thoroughly shaken by the development, openly lamented the cash scarcity and pleaded for understanding by other stranded customers, assuring them that everything possible was being done to adequately address the challenge going forward.
However, one of the staff, who preferred anonymity given the sensitive nature of the issue, told Forefront News that the situation was out their control, adding that they now secretly advise customers on the need to operate multiple accounts with different banks as a way of managing the current cash crunch in the country.
According to the staff, in the interim, the best option for banks’ customers is to rely on transferring money to POS operators, especially those who are traders, for ease of cash transactions to meet their pressing needs.
