Following the April 5 robbery attacks on some banks in Offa, Kwara State, resulting in the killing of an estimated 50 persons, the Imo State Police Command has set up what it called bank chain patrol squads.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police , Chris Ezike , on Friday said that the outfit consists of five squads and is headed by a superintendent of Police .
The CP , who said that the Command did not want to be caught unawares by the “ criminal elements ” who have seen commercial banks as “lucrative destination for deadly onslaughts , ” maintained that the state was safe for banking transactions .
Ezike , who said that the operatives were specially trained to counter bank robbery operations , stated that his Command wants to make sure that the state was insecure for all forms of criminality , including invasion of banks .
He said, “We don’ t want what happened in Offa to happen here. We want to be pro -active than reactive.
“ In Imo State, I have set up a squad known as bank chain patrol teams . They are made up of five teams . One squad led by a superintendent heads each of the teams .
“ The squads moves in chain. They don’ t move separately . They begin by 8am and close by 4: 30 pm immediately the banks stop receiving customers.”
According to the CP , the operatives were charged to liaise with bank managers to ensure that issues of security breach were swiftly checkmated .
