Seven Years After Robbery, Ondo Community Begs First Bank To Reopen Branch

Residents and stakeholders from Idoani in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State have appealed to the management of First Bank of Nigeria Plc to restore banking operations in the community, nearly seven years after the branch was shut following a deadly armed robbery attack.

According to reports, the bank branch, which served as the only commercial banking outlet for Idoani and several neighbouring communities, was closed after a violent robbery on April 8, 2019. The attack claimed the lives of seven people, including bank employees, a police inspector and two customers who were using the Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

Speaking in Akure on Sunday, community leaders said the prolonged closure has severely affected commercial activities, restricted access to banking services and slowed economic growth across the area.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Steve Otaloro, described the continued closure of the branch as inconsistent with the legacy of the bank’s first indigenous Managing Director, Chief Samuel Oyewole Asabia, who hailed from Idoani.

Otaloro noted that reopening the branch would not only boost economic activities in the community but also serve as a lasting tribute to one of Nigeria’s foremost banking pioneers. He recalled that Asabia, who became FirstBank’s first Nigerian Managing Director in 1975, played a significant role in expanding banking services to rural communities through the Federal Government’s Rural Banking Programme introduced during the military administration of former Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo.

He explained that Idoani was among the beneficiaries of the initiative, leading to the establishment of the FirstBank branch in the 1980s. While acknowledging that there is no official record confirming the branch was established because it was Asabia’s hometown, he maintained that its presence reflected the bank’s commitment to extending financial services to grassroots communities.

Otaloro further stated that unlike many rural branches that operated from rented facilities, FirstBank invested in permanent infrastructure in Idoani by constructing a dedicated banking hall and an official residence for the branch manager, demonstrating its long-term commitment to the town.

He added that the branch had for decades provided banking services to residents of Idoani and neighbouring communities, including Idogun, Imeri, Owani, Afo, Ikun and Oba, while also serving major institutions such as the Federal Government College, Idoani, the Nigerian Navy Secondary School in Imeri, farmers, traders, artisans, transport operators, cooperative societies and public servants.

The APC stalwart lamented that the closure of the branch, coupled with the bank’s internal restructuring, has left thousands of customers without direct access to conventional banking services. He noted that many residents now travel long distances to carry out financial transactions, while others rely on Point-of-Sale (POS) operators for services previously provided by the bank.

Although he acknowledged the security concerns that followed the 2019 robbery attack, Otaloro argued that the incident should not have permanently ended the bank’s presence in the community.

He urged the bank’s management to reconsider its decision, stressing that reopening the branch would honour Chief Asabia’s legacy while restoring essential financial services, promoting financial inclusion and stimulating economic development in Idoani and surrounding communities.