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Bank customers across Nigeria have continued to express frustration over what they describe as incessant and unjustified deductions from their accounts, despite repeated appeals for intervention.

Some of the aggrieved customers, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, called on the Bank Customers Association of Nigeria (BCAN) to urgently defend their rights and press regulators into action.

They lamented that the charges had become discouraging and, in many cases, unnecessary.

Mrs. Helen Agodo, a customer with First HoldCo Plc, said the daily debits on her account had become unbearable.

“In fact, I do not blame some people who decide not to put their monies in a bank,” she said. “There was a day I calculated the debit alert charges that I received from my bank, it was up to N1,000 just for a day. You will now imagine the total amount the bank will get if they do the same deduction from, like, 1,000 to 2,000 of their customers.”

She appealed to BCAN to engage the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other relevant authorities to halt such unauthorised deductions.

Similarly, Ms. Cheta Ugochukwu, a customer of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, described the charges as unfair and insincere.

“This development is not a good or sincere business model,” she said.

Ugochukwu, who recently became aware of BCAN, called for increased public sensitisation about its activities.

“Personally, I do all my transactions electronically, and I thought that is the basis for the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria. My bank charged me about N1,146 as an SMS alert for one month. This, to me, is too much,” she explained.

She added that she considered disabling SMS alerts in favour of her mobile app but eventually changed her mind.

“I wanted to disable my bank SMS when the amount was increased and rely only on my app receipt, but on a second thought, I decided to leave it, but now, my mind is made up. I was even charged N100 as an electronic money transfer levy, contrary to N50 stipulated by the regulation. I wonder how they calculate this because it is unfair with the current state of the economy,” she lamented.

Another customer, Mr. Usman Idris of Fidelity Bank Plc, said over ₦3,700 was deducted from his current account as maintenance charges.

“They told me to write because I asked for clarification, but when they wanted to withdraw my money, they did not ask for my clarification. This is so sad,” Idris said.

A bank official, who pleaded anonymity, insisted that the charges were in line with the CBN’s approved guide to bank charges.

NAN recalls that BCAN, led by its President, Uju Ogubunka, had earlier written to the CBN concerning the mounting complaints from customers over deductions.

BCAN, a non-profit incorporated trustee, advocates for efficient banking practices and serves as the collective voice of bank customers, comprising individuals and corporate bodies who hold or intend to hold accounts in Nigeria.

The association says it remains committed to protecting customers’ rights while promoting a healthy and transparent banking culture.

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