Reports Of Casualties Of New Naira Notes Scarcity

Since the redesigned new Naira Notes, its introduction to the public and subsequent directive by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to citizens for swapping of their old Naira Notes with the new ones, some had become casualties in course of trying to obtain the new notes.

While some had died, some have had their loved ones gone so suddenly due to exhaustion from queuing up in lines endlessly waiting at bank premises, still others engaged in physical fights with another either in banking halls or outside the premises in queues.

Examples of these ugly incidences suffice:

Naira scarcity: Soldiers, university students clash over cash withdrawal

Students of the University of Benin clashed with some soldiers at the school premises on Thursday over cash withdrawal at one of the bank’s Automated Teller Machines.

Trouble was said to have started as attempts to jump the queue by the soldiers was met with stiff resistance by the students who had waited patiently on the queue for their turn.

According to a source, the students were said to be angry with the soldiers from the S &T Barracks who had done the same on Wednesday in an oppressive manner.

The source stated, “On Wednesday they came here and harassed the students. They even asked the students who challenged them to lie on the ground. But today (Thursday) when they came again and wanted to do the same thing, the student resisted.”

While arguments ensued between the students and the military men, the Chief Security Officer of the institution who intervened was said to have been assaulted by the soldiers.

The development got the students aggrieved and blocked vehicular movement on routes to and fro the school which resulted in a gridlock.

It took the intervention of some spirited Nigerians and the Divisional Police Officer Ugbowo Division to appease the irate students to allow vehicular movements around the axis.

When contacted, the state Deputy Police spokesperson, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu, said peace had returned to the area after several appeals to the students, who demanded that a smashed phone of one of their colleagues be repaired.

In a statement signed by the Vice Chancellor of the School, Prof. Lilian Salami on Friday, she described the incident as unfortunate and called for calm.

The statement reads, “The unfortunate incident of the clash between some students of our university and soldiers on Thursday 2nd February,  resulting from alleged resistance of students to the soldiers’ attempt to jump ATM queue on campus has been brought under control and the management of the University is in discussions with the hierarchy of the S &T for amicable resolution.

“The management acknowledges that these are challenging times for everyone and enjoins all to remain calm while efforts are being made to avert a re-occurrence.

“Management also calls on the students to constantly engage dialogue in resolving issues that concern them rather than taking to protests, at any provocation, thereby causing more injury and damage to themselves and other citizens,” the statement added.
-Emergency Digest

Another incident reads:
Man Dies After Queuing For Many Hours In The Bank

For many hours, an unnamed bank customer has died after queuing at a generation bank in Agbor, Delta State.

The sad incident occurred on Thursday, 2nd February, in the Ika South Local Government Area, Delta State.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in Delta state, DSP Bright Edafe, said the deceased came to the bank to collect his ATM card.

The police said the deceased came to collect his Automated Teller Machine card.

He said, ”He was not trying to withdraw cash; he came to collect his ATM card,”
-Tribune

Yet, another report of casualties had it thus:
Tragedy As Man Loses Pregnant Wife To Scarcity Of New Naira In Kaduna

A heavy pregnant woman in Kasuwan Magani, Kajuru LGA who was due for delivery lost her life after all efforts by her husband to withdraw money from the bank failed.

Narrating the ordeal, James Auta, said he went with his wife to the hospital on Monday where the doctor asked him to deposit money before he could examine her.

According to him: “I ran to my bank to withdraw money, but was told no money. I went back looking for
POS operators, but I could not find
any because, since the issue of new currency began, most POS operator locked up their business centre.”

As he could not access his money, the couple decided to return home, trusting God for safe delivery, leading to his wife bleeding to death, he said.

“My wife began labour around 11 pm. Since I could not withdraw any money, I called the attention of a nurse within our locality. But as my wife delivered, blood was coming out non-stop. All efforts by the nurse to stop the bleeding failed,” he recalled.
-Tori