Providus Bank customers has threatened mass exit over alleged unauthorised card transactions.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the customers of Providus Bank have threatened to close their accounts and move their funds to other financial institutions following allegations of unauthorised access to their debit and payment cards.
The growing dissatisfaction comes amid the bank’s continued silence over complaints by customers who claim millions of naira were fraudulently withdrawn from their accounts through unauthorised card transactions.
According to Daily Post, which first reported the development, affected customers have been demanding explanations from the bank since last week after noticing suspicious transactions on their accounts.
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Further efforts to obtain the bank’s reaction by newsmen was unsuccessful. TheDaily Post report disclosed that Providus Bank’s Head of Corporate Communications, Dafe Ivwurie, had promised to respond to inquiries on July 3 but had yet to issue any official statement more than a week later.
Similarly, the Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Babatunde Bamigboye, was also said not to have responded to inquiries on the incident.
Reacting to the controversy, President of the Bank Customers Association of Nigeria (BCAN), Dr. Uju Ogunbunka, criticised the bank’s handling of the situation, describing it as unacceptable for customers to bear the consequences of any security lapses.
He urged Providus Bank to immediately investigate the alleged breach, identify its source and implement measures to prevent future occurrences.
Ogunbunka also advised affected customers not to hesitate to escalate their complaints to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) if they are dissatisfied with the bank’s response, adding that they are free to take their business elsewhere.
“Providus needs to find out what really happened and then take the necessary actions to close the gap. There is no need to play hide-and-seek with customers. Customers can exit the bank because there is a serious issue involving unauthorised card transactions.
“Customers should either exit the bank or take up the issue with the Central Bank of Nigeria. And if Providus is not doing anything positive to address the challenge, they should escalate it to the regulatory authorities,” Ogunbunka told Daily Post.
The latest development has further heightened concerns over cybersecurity in Nigeria’s banking industry, coming months after reports that hackers compromised the systems of several financial institutions in Nigeria.
As of the time of filing this report, Providus Bank had not issued an official response to the allegations, while affected customers continue to demand clarity over the reported unauthorised transactions and the safety of their deposits.
