Hours-Long Delay: Nigerian Police Blame Distance, Road Conditions for Late Response to Benue Bank Heist

The Nigeria Police Force has cited the treacherous combination of bad roads and substantial distances as factors contributing to their late response to a bank robbery that took place in Benue State. The incident unfolded in Otukpo town, where a daring gang of armed robbers laid siege to four banks, resulting in a devastating toll of 11 lives.

The assailants reportedly disarmed police officers stationed at the targeted banks, leading to a tragic loss of life. Among the casualties were three police officers, a vigilant community member, and a local councilor from Otukpo Ward 2, who was conducting business within one of the affected banks.

The audacious robbery began with an attack on the police station located directly opposite the banks, where the criminals successfully disarmed all officers on duty. They subsequently proceeded into the bank premises, where they operated with impunity.

The robbers’ synchronized assault on the four banks, namely Stanbic Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Zenith Bank, and First Bank, began at 3:30 pm, catching the local authorities off guard.

Responding to the tragic incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Benue State Police Command, SP Catherine Anene, revealed that bad road conditions played a pivotal role in the delayed response from law enforcement agencies. She explained that, on October 20, 2023, at approximately 3:15 pm, the Divisional Police Officer in Otukpo alerted the command to the dire robbery situation. Recognizing the magnitude of the threat, he urgently requested assistance, as he deemed the local division incapable of handling the crisis independently.

In her statement, SP Catherine Anene detailed the logistical challenges that hindered the police’s rapid response. She said, “The command started mobilizing policemen within the Otukpo Area Command to see how they could support them before the arrival of policemen from other areas within the command because they are far and considering the distance and the bad road.”

Despite the concerted efforts to reinforce the local police division, communication with the Divisional Police Officer was suddenly lost. SP Catherine Anene lamented, “Unfortunately, we could no longer speak with the DPO, his phone was ringing but nobody picked up. It was then we called other offices who explained to us what happened.”