By Abdallah el-Kurebe
It was drama today at the Sokoto main branch of First Bank Plc when the Bank’s security men tried to prevent a woman dressed in completely veiled clothes (Hijab).
The woman had come to use the ATM card to make transactions at the bank when the security men insisted that she unveiled her face before she gains entry into the banking premises.
A Newsdiaryonline reporter who witnessed the episode sought to know why and one of the security men at the bank argued that they had instructions from their superiors not to allow such women entry into the banking premises until they put their veils off their faces.
“This is an instruction and we have to abide by it. She has to expose her face for identification otherwise we won’t allow her in,” one of the security man said.
However, the woman insisted that as a customer, she had the right of access not only into but also the services of the bank. “Look at my ATM card. Let them check my bag and see. This is surprising,” the woman said in bewilderment.
It took the intervention of a mobile police officer for the woman to be allowed to do her transaction.
Looking furious, the police officer asked the security men if Nigeria was France.
“You should search and allow her go in to do her transaction. She says she has her ATM card so you search her bag like you are searching others. Has she no right to her religion or are we in France?” He advised the security men who declined the advise.
Irked by the actions of the security men, another police officer ushered and led the woman to the ATM designated area where she made her transaction and left.
Reacting to the drama, a customer asked why the bank would give such an instruction where “even during account opening, I believe it did not give conditions of what to wear before a customer could gain access to the bank for transaction.”
When Newsdiaryonline attempted to see the Manager for clarification, he was said to be out of office.
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