By GINIKA OKOYE

Many bank customers have continued to complain about numerous debits from their accounts in spite of their appeals.

Some of them who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, appealed to the Bank Customers Association of Nigeria (BCAN) to swing into action to protect their rights.

They said the bank charges were becoming increasingly discouraging and unnecessary.

Mrs Helen Agodo, a customer with First HoldCo Plc, said that daily debits from her account by her bank was becoming unbearable.

Agodo appealed to BCAN to engage the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other relevant regulatory bodies with a view to ending the unauthorised deductions.

“In fact, I do not blame some people who decide not to put their monies in a bank.

“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 said.

Miss Cheta Ugochukwu, another customer of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc, described the charges as unfair.

She said the development was not a good or sincere business model.

Ugochukwu who said she recently became aware of the activities of BCAN, called for more awareness on the activities of the association.

She appealed to the association to constantly engage bank customers nationwide for greater impact.

“Personally, I do all my transactions electronically and I thought that is the basis for the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“My bank charged me about N1,146 as SMS alert for one month, this to me is too much.

“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 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 said.

Mr Usman Idris, a customer with Fidelity Bank Plc, said that more than N3,700 was deducted from her current account for maintenance.

Idris expressed regret that when she reported to the bank for clarifications, she was asked to write the bank officially.

“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,” he said.

A bank official who pleaded anonymity, said their bank charged customers in line with the CBN guide to bank charges.

NAN recalls that BCAN, led by its President, Uju Ogubunka, had said that it had written to the CBN about the charges being deducted from customers’ accounts.

BCAN is a non-profit organisation and an incorporated trustee focused on educating the Nigerian public about efficient banking practices and fostering a positive banking culture.

BCAN serves as a collective voice for bank customers, with members including individuals and corporate organisations who hold or intend to hold bank accounts in Nigeria.

The association actively advocates customers’ rights. (NAN)

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