Lawyers acting for a university don have formally dragged Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), over an alleged loss of N9.98 million from their client’s account.
The complainant is Professor Muyiwa Popoola, Deputy Vice‑Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, who claims the sum was withdrawn from his GTBank account without his consent.
In a petition filed through the Lagos‑based firm Sholanke and Sholanke, the lawyers are demanding that the CBN direct GTBank to refund the N9.98 million immediately and unconditionally, and conduct a thorough investigation into how the funds were debited while ensuring compliance with banking regulations and consumers’ protection guidelines.
The lawyers argue that the alleged unauthorised withdrawal breaches the bank’s duty of care to customers and may amount to a violation of financial‑regulation and data‑protection standards.
GTBank has previously stated that it is investigating the matter and has asked the customer to continue to engage its whistle‑blowing channel to resolve the issue.
The bank insists it takes all customer complaints seriously and would apply its internal review processes, and involve law‑enforcement agencies if necessary.
Professor Popoola has since made public posts on social media to draw attention to what he described as fraudulent withdrawals from his account.
As of Saturday, there was no public reaction from the CBN on the new petition, but sources said the apex bank typically acknowledges such complaints and may request the bank to submit a detailed report.
The case has renewed debate on customer protection in the Nigerian banking sector and the need for faster redress when large sums are allegedly lost from personal accounts.
