Banks donate 26 armoured vehicles to police

Gbola Subair and Chris Agbambu, Abuja - 28.02.2008

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has decried the increasing spate of armed robbery attacks on banks and individuals in the country as it presented 26 armoured vehicles to the Nigeria Police Force.

Governor of the CBN, Professor Chukwuma Soludo said this Wednesday in Abuja at the presentation of 26 armoured vehicles donated by the Bankers Committee to the Police

Presenting the vehicles at a ceremony held at the Police Headquarters, Prof Soludo condemned the high rate of crime and criminality in the country, stressing that attacks on banks, companies and individuals by men of the underworld called for concern.

He said the Bankers Committee was aware that unless there was security of life and property in the country, there would not be private sector led economy nor the achievement of the Financial System Strategy [FSS] 2020, a programme designed to make Nigeria to the financial hub of the African continent, would be impssoible.

To ensure that the vehicles donated are durable, the apex bank governor stated that three containers of spare parts were donated to the police in addition to the training of personnel who will handle them, in South Africa.