A man, Sodirudeen Rufai, has been arrested by police in Ogun State for allegedly trying to set ablaze a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) branch in the Oke-Ilewo Area of Abeokuta, Ogun State.
In the incident on Tuesday, Rufai was said to have gone to the bank with petrol which he began to sprinkle in the banking hall before being overpowered by some other customers aided by the bank’s security staff before he could use the lighter in his hand.
The bank’s Chief Security Officer, Godwin James, handed the suspect to the Ibara Police Division.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that trouble started when Rufai complained to the bank some time ago that N500,000 unauthorised debit transaction occurred on his account.
His complaints to the bank were said to have fallen on deaf ears, and he reported the matter to the police.
According to The Punch, the Area Commander, Metro, Abeokuta, told the complainant to allow the bank to follow its procedure in unraveling the circumstances behind the deduction.
However, a bank official was said to have told Rufai that he had been defrauded and the bank could not do anything about his plight.
Infuriated by the information, Rufai reportedly went home to get petrol and a lighter and returned to set the bank ablaze.
During interrogation, the suspect was said to have told the police that he took the action to draw the attention of the necessary authorities that could get the bank to explain what happened to his money.
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Ogun State, Omolola Odutola, said Rufai would be charged with attempted suicide and murder.
“He was fighting a noble cause in an ignoble way. He has a right to make a complaint that his money is missing. But the way he went about it was wrong. We are going to hold him ,for an attempt to commit suicide with murder because if he had succeeded, he would have killed himself and every other person in the bank,” she said.
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