Abuja: Customers of various banks have continued to lament over the numerous debit alerts from their accounts in spite of their appeals to banks. Some of them who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and other relevant regulatory agencies to wade into the matter. They said the charges were discouraging and unnecessary.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Mrs. Helen Agodo, a customer with First HoldCo Plc, said that daily debits from her account by her bank were becoming unbearable. Agodo mentioned that on some days, she could receive debit alerts totaling about N1,000 from her bank account. She expressed her frustration by stating, “In fact, I do not blame some people who decide not to put their monies in a bank.”
Miss Cheta Ugochukwu, a customer of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc, described the charges as unfair and questioned the sincerity of the business model. She mentioned that her bank charged her about N1,146 for SMS alerts in one month, which she considered excessive. Ugochukwu also highlighted being charged N100 as an Electronic Money Transfer Levy, contrary to the N50 stipulated by regulation.
Mr. Usman Idris, a customer with Fidelity Bank Plc, reported that more than N3,700 was deducted from his current account for maintenance. When he approached the bank for clarification, he was asked to write an official letter. Idris expressed his disappointment, noting the irony that the bank required no clarification when withdrawing his money.
Mr. Roland Garba, a customer with Access Holdings Plc, joined the call for CBN, NDIC, and other regulatory agencies to address these complaints. A bank official, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that their bank charged customers in line with the CBN guide on bank charges.