Truly, injustice to one is injustice to all of us. This is because if left unchecked, might come in worse dimensions to haunt the rest of us. In lieu of this, I will like to relate the unfortunate incident that played out at GT Bank, Seminary Branch, Ogbomoso, as narrated by one of the victims to the Nigerian Intellectual Community. Indeed, there is video evidence and eyewitness accounts to support his story. The story goes thus: Mr. AbdJelil (victim) was at the aforementioned Bank branch at about 02:58pm yesterday, 16/07/2014 to make some transfers from one sub-account to the other of the GT Bank account of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, LAUTECH Branch, Ogbomoso. The assignment was a critical one, requiring some level of urgency He met a crowd in front of the main entrance to the bank, who he later discovered had been there for a couple of minutes, requesting to be allowed into the banking hall to transact the various businesses they had come for. He joined the fray, as was expected. Shockingly however, the banks security guards were barking at helpless customers to leave the premises of the bank. According to them, the bank was closing at 03:00pm. All vocal protest by the frustrated crowd to state that there was no prior notice to that effect and the fact that they had been there before 03:00pm was dismissed by the guards. Even the subtle appeal by the elderly ones in the crowd that they desperately needed to make withdrawals over the counter fell on deaf ears. Rather than offer comforting words and reasonable explanations, the security guards decided insulting remarks was most suitable to address customers, whose savings play a part in sustaining the Bank. One of them even made to physically assault some of the customers, until he was restricted by his superior. When it dawned on the bank officials inside the banking hall that the crowd wouldnt leave without getting at least getting the reason behind the unusual closing time, they went for a suprisingly absurd option- Mobile Policemen from the divisional police command were called in to come and foil an attempted robbery. As is characteristic of the often times crude Nigerian Police Force, the MOPOLS immediately swung into action. They shot sporadically into the air and diffused tear-gas into the crowd. They then proceeded to encircle the three major victims of the sad episode, barking out orders to them to surrender and not move. One of the unfortunate victims, the General Secretary of the MSSN LAUTECH had only coincidentally at the time of arrival of the MOPOLS to consult with this narrator to on approaching the chief security officer at the bank to ask one of the senior officials of the bank to calmly come and explain reason(s) for the one hour early closing time to the confused and stressed up bank customers. Quite unfortunately, the action deprived MOPOLs will not ask question nor let common sense guide them to know that the so-called armed robbers were not harmed, except with their vocal resistance and quest for their rights as customers to be respected. The supposedly protectors of the rights of the common man rather subjected their helpless victims to humiliating and severe torture in public glare. Their pants were yanked off and they were commanded to roll their bodies back and forth on the ground, coupled with kicks from the MOPOLs boots and other forms of physical assault. They were severely beaten until some minutes past 05:00pm, when they were eventually taken to the police command for further interrogation. It took a lot of negotiations from the the Dean of Students Affairs, LAUTECH, representativesfrom the LAUTECH SUG (led by their president and many of the excos) and MSSN LAUTECH, coupled with the fact that fellow students had held staff of the Banks branch on LAUTECH premises hostage, ensuring none of them could leave the bank premises before the three hapless victims were released from police custody few minutes before 07:00pm. Incidentally, the three victims were observing the Ramadhan fast in the middle of this very traumatic experience. It was at the Police command that it was learnt that the bank was only trying to cut costs on diesel used for its operations, hence the unannounced 03:00pm closing time. One then wonders why the bank officials couldnt simply respect their customers by coming out to amicably explain their position to them. It is sad to note that the bank carried on with normal business today, 17/07/2014, without recourse to their absurd action yesterday, fuelling the belief that the actions are part of GT Banks operational policy. This is why we are calling on all reasonable Nigerians to arise and say # noto oppression, no to gt bank. Remember that wise saying: an injustice somewhere is a threat to justice anywhere. You could be the victim tomorrow. Please join this justice campaign to preserve our dignity from being abused. God help us! Signed Concerned LAUTECH Students
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 08:07:28 +0000