FACT CHECK: Did FirstBank Truly Suspend Operations in the Southeast?
On Wednesday, June 2, several Twitter users claimed FirstBank of Nigeria has suspended its operations in the southeast due to the growing insecurity in the region.
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Source: Twitter
Claim:
FirstBank of Nigeria closed its branches and suspended operations in the southeast
Verdict:
The claim that FirstBank of Nigeria closed its branches and suspended operations in the southeast is FALSE. The bank has officially debunked this in a Twitter post via its official handle.
Full Text
As the insecurity in the southeast escalates, there is also a growing trend of misinformation emanating from the recently troubled region.
On Wednesday, June 2, several Twitter users claimed First Bank of Nigeria, one of the prominent Nigerian banks, has shut down its operation in the southeast.
One of the tweets was posted by a Twitter user identified as David Abdulrasak with the handle, @the_davidatta.
Source: Twitter
He claimed:
“First Bank has reportedly suspended operations in the SE… A scenario that a vindictive president would let play out to the detriment of the region and which can easily be blamed on IPOB. His line of action is to save the SE from enemies within. But you’re too angry to see."
Another user identified as @mobilisingniger tweeted:
"BREAKING: First Bank Has Taken The Decision to Temporarily Close All its 65 Branches In The South East due to Insecurity ravaging the region with ESN attacking security personnel and critical infrastructures."
Source: Twitter
Verification
The first red flag about the tweets is that no reputable media organisation had any report about the alleged suspension of operations.
Checks by Legit.ng also indicate that the bank did not post anything about the alleged development on any of its official social media communication channels.
Meanwhile, shortly after the tweets gained traction on Twitter, First Bank took to Twitter to debunk the claims that it has suspended its operation in the southeast.
The bank confirmed that its branches in the region are open for business urged members of the public to disregard any contrary information.
The tweet reads:
“This is to inform the public that our South East branches are fully open for business. Please disregard any news making the rounds that is contrary to this."
Conclusion
Contrary to the claims by some Twitter users, First Bank of Nigeria has not suspended its operations in the southeast. The branches are fully open for business, the bank has stated.
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In other news, the Onion Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (OPMAN) on Wednesday, June 2, announced its decision to suspend onion supply to the southeast due to the growing insecurity in the region.
The national president of OPMAN, Aliyu Isah, made the announcement.
Legit.ng gathers that Isah explained that the association took the decision following the recent hijack of two of their members’ trucks by gunmen suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Source: Legit.ng
