Bank Customers Decry Excessive Charges, Urge BCAN To Protect Their Rights
By Stephen Chuks
MANY Nigerian bank customers have expressed anger over persistent and unexplained deductions from their accounts, calling on the Bank Customers Association of Nigeria (BCAN) to defend their rights.
The customers, who spoke in Abuja on Sunday, said the constant debits and multiple charges were discouraging and eroding trust in the banking system.
Mrs. Helen Agodo, a customer with First HoldCo Plc, said the daily deductions from her account had become unbearable.
“Honestly, I don’t blame people who decide not to keep their money in banks,” she said. “One day, I added up all the debit alert charges I got — they totaled ₦1,000 in just one day. Imagine how much banks make if they deduct such amounts from millions of customers.”
Agodo appealed to BCAN to step in and work with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other regulators to stop what she described as unauthorised deductions.
Miss Cheta Ugochukwu, a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) customer, also condemned the charges, describing them as excessive and unfair. She called for more public awareness of BCAN’s role in protecting customers.
“I carry out all my transactions electronically, which is supposed to support the CBN’s cashless policy. Yet, my bank charged me ₦1,146 as SMS alert fees for one month. That’s too much,” she said.
“I was also charged ₦100 as Electronic Money Transfer Levy instead of the ₦50 stated by regulation. I don’t understand how these calculations are done. It’s unfair, especially with the current economic hardship.”
Another customer, Mr. Usman Idris of Fidelity Bank Plc, said over ₦3,700 was deducted from his account as a “maintenance fee.”
“When I went to the bank to ask questions, they told me to write a formal letter,” he said. “But when they were withdrawing my money, nobody asked for my permission. It’s sad.”
A bank official, who requested anonymity, maintained that the deductions were in line with the CBN’s guide on bank charges.
The Bank Customers Association of Nigeria (BCAN), led by its President, Dr. Uju Ogubunka, said it had already written to the CBN about customers’ complaints concerning excessive charges.
BCAN is a non-profit group that promotes responsible banking and protects the interests of customers. It also serves as a collective voice for individuals and businesses with bank accounts in Nigeria.
