ATM users in Asaba: Beware, thieves are on the prowl

As the yuletide approaches, bank customers who use Automated Teller Machines (ATM) in Asaba, the Delta State Capital, may be in for a raw deal in the hands of thieves who loiter around banks AATM premises with the intention of dispossessing unsuspecting customers of their money.

But the police in a swift reaction through its image maker, Mr. Andrew Aniamaka,  said the police have repositioned in strategies with a view to bringing the thieves to book, adding that plain cloth policemen are on the watch. It was gathered that the thieves, many of whom young and middle aged, are often well dressed and hover around bank premises, particularly at very safe distance from the ATM machines.

In most cases, investigation revealed that the thieves are usually positioned in an unsuspecting car with a driver at a vintage position to monitor those who go to the bank premises to get money with debit cards.

As against the belief in some quarters that the thieves operate mainly at night, our findings revealed that the thieves have extended their activities to the early hours of the day and the afternoon.

To show that they operate at any time of the day, a bank customer, who pleaded anonymity for security reason had during the week, gone to a bank along the popular Nnebisi Road, Asaba at about 8am with two debit cards from two different banks to get some money.

Getting to the bank, he succeeded in getting N150, 000 each, totally N300, 000 with the debit cards. As he made attempt to open the door of his car, a middle-aged man walk up to him from opposite the bank, quietly and smoothly pulled out a gun, pointed it at him and ordered him to submit the N300,000  in his pocket.

Out of fear, he nervously submitted the money to the thief. And like the speed of light, the thief vanished into the thin air, leaving him confused and completely devastated.

Some of the bank’s security men, who apparently witnessed the drama but could not help the situation, our reporter gathered, walked up to the victim moments after the thief had vanished to sympathize with him but instead, he knelt down by his car and prayed, “God, I thank you for my life,” and quietly entered into his car and drove away.

Our reporter also revealed that last week a lady and an elderly man lost huge sums of money to these prowling thieves after making some withdrawals at two separate banks, before and after the Traffic Light Junction end of the state capital.

The case of the elderly man was particularly bad because, according to him, that was the only money he had in the bank and needed transport fare to get to Agbor.