FIRSTBANK WEBSITE SHUT DOWN: CORPORATE STATEMENT

&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph"><em><strong>F<&sol;strong><&sol;em><strong><em>irstBank website is rumoured to have been shut down flowing &num;EndSars protest&period;<&sol;em> <em>It is West Africa’s  premier Bank and leading financial inclusion services provider in Nigeria with  over 125 years&period; The Bank has above 750 business locations and 76&comma;000 Banking Agents in Nigeria’s  774 Council Areas in Nigeria&period;  It provides a comprehensive range of retail and corporate financial services to serve its over 15 million customers&period;<&sol;em> <em> In this statement&comma; the Bank clarifies the rumoured FirstBank website shut down  issues<&sol;em><&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Our attention has been drawn to the tweet making the rounds on social media on shutting down the FirstBank website following a false tweet that the Bank prevented <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;nytimes&period;com">staff<&sol;a> from joining the ongoing protests in the country&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">As the largest banking institution in <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">Nigeria<&sol;a>&comma; it is not unlikely we may be the target in circumstances as these&period; This is rather unfortunate&period; We believe far reaching reform is necessary&period; The Bank has said as much on a number of occasions across our platforms&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">In the process of change&comma; some pain will be borne by all and some anger may well be misdirected&period; FirstBank understands this as a part of the process of the struggle&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">We have a large staff strength and an even larger customer base who may be affected by any disruption and this would be a pity as a number are also contributing in many ways to ensure that voices are heard and required action is taken&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">The Bank has been consistent in our message on the need to end all brutality and carry out necessary reforms&period; We will continue to lend our voice accordingly&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Signed&colon; FirstBank&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;