Customer Leads Peaceful Protest To Access Bank Mushin Branch Over Unauthorised End-of-Month Charges, Gives 14-Day Ultimatum For N4.8m Refund
By Onome Naomi
A businessman who produces beauty enhancement products in Lagos led a peaceful protest to Access Bank Mushin Branch on February 8, 2024, over unauthorised debit alerts on his company account, now amounting to N4.8 million in total. The end-of-month charges as specified by the bank were discovered by the complainant (customer) some months ago with no prior notice, refund, or adjustment from the bank after reports had been made for investigation.
The businessman, Comrade Prince Saviour Iche, who is also known as a human rights advocate, said he was inclined to lead a protest to the bank to register his displeasure for not creating a resolution to the excess charges taken from his account weekly and monthly, respectively, as well as notify the public of the activities of Access Bank.
When narrating his ordeal to the journalists present at the protest, Iche said:
“Today, February 8, 2024, we demand that our money be investigated; every day there is an unauthorised deduction from Access Bank. We demand an explanation on why there are so many deductions, unlike other banks, which also have deductions but are not excessive.
We are demanding our rights, and if nothing is done, we will make sure all Access Bank offices are shut down until they regulate their charges. We will use Access Bank as a scapegoat because all banks in Nigeria do almost the same thing.
As a businessman who does transactions every day, I rarely take note of debit alerts from my account except those I initiate myself. But recently, around 11 p.m., I saw a debit alert from Access Bank of over N50,000, and this won’t be the first time.
As I further investigated the previous months, I found out it’s been going on for a while now. After submitting my complaints to the bank for a correction or refund of excess charges, it became worse. Now I sometimes get debited the sum of N80,000–N90,000 as end-of-month deductions. There was a time they deducted the wholesome amount twice the same day.
I came to the bank to complain, and they said perhaps there were carryover deductions from last month. I was surprised because the end-of-month deduction was also carried out last month. My complaint was noted, but with an unclear explanation stating that during the course of my account opening, I signed for a tax deduction. I asked to be shown the documents I signed, but they had no evidence.
A letter has been written to Access Bank headquarters, and the reply was that their auditors will get to the root of the matter. For two months, I have not heard from them, even after writing another letter. Hence the reason for the protest is to make public our displeasure with an ultimatum of 14 days for a favourable feedback of a refund of N4.8 million.
After 14 days from today, February 8, 2024, if Access Bank fails to return 4 million and eight hundred thousand naira to my account, we will drag them to court.”
Entrepreneur/Human Rights Activist and founder of AMPEF (Voice of the Voiceless Media), Comrade Prince Saviour Iche joined voices further stated that the activities of Access Bank should be subjected to scrutiny for illegal deductions and other extortion vices of debits that occur in their customers accounts. The CBN should take disciplinary action against Access Bank with immediate effect.
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Onlookers who were also affected by excessive Access Bank deductions joined in the protest to also register their displeasure as to why such unfounded debit alerts occur in their accounts. One Mr. Emmanuel said he made a transaction to an account from his access bank account but didn’t reach the recipient’s account yet was debited. Upon complaints, Access Bank Mushin Branch has yet to initiate a reverse for over one month and counting. Uses the medium of the protest to seek redress for the inefficiency of the bank in serving its customers.
