Thelma Osatohanmwen
In a shocking turn of events, a man identified as Sodirudeen Rufai has been detained in a Police Station after attempting to set Guaranty Trust Bank ablaze.
NEWSTODAYNG gathered that the building is located in the Oke-Ilewo Area of Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The incident, which transpired on Tuesday has left everyone in awe, as Rufai’s actions were reportedly born out of frustration and desperation after he claimed that an unauthorized debit of N500,000 from his bank account had gone unaddressed despite multiple complaints.
NEWSTODAYNG gathered that the suspect had sought assistance from the Area Commander, Metro, Abeokuta, who advised him to allow the bank to follow its procedures in investigating the deduction.
However, matters took a drastic turn when the bank informed Rufai that he had fallen victim to a fraud scheme.
In response, he allegedly returned to the bank armed with petrol, intending to set the banking hall ablaze.
As the dramatic scene unfolded, customers within the bank scampered for safety, while the bank’s security personnel and some brave individuals managed to subdue Rufai before he could ignite the fire.
The suspect was subsequently handed over to the Ibara Police Division by the bank’s Chief Security Officer, Godwin James.
Following subsequent investigation into the matter by the police, Rufai claimed that his extreme actions were an attempt to draw attention to the alleged mishandling of his funds by the bank but the authorities took a stern view of his actions.
The state police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, confirmed that Rufai would face charges of attempted suicide and murder.
While acknowledging Rufai’s right to report the unauthorized debit, Odutola emphasized that the manner in which he had chosen to express his frustration was both dangerous and unlawful.
Odutola stated, “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.”
