A Lagos-based furniture maker, Daramola Ebenezer Babatunde, has accused Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) of abandoning him after N1 million was allegedly withdrawn from his account and transferred to an OPay account without his authorisation.
The incident, which Babatunde said occurred on a Sunday afternoon, has raised concerns about digital banking security and the process customers must go through when unauthorised transactions occur.
Babatunde, who runs a furniture business in Lagos, said he noticed the unexpected debit while checking his account balance and was shocked to see that a large sum of money had disappeared from his bank account.
According to him, the money was transferred to an OPay account belonging to someone he does not know, and he insists he never approved the transaction.
How the N1 Million Debit Happened
Speaking about the incident, Babatunde explained that he first noticed the suspicious transaction on Sunday evening while reviewing activity on his bank account.
He said the transaction occurred around 12 pm on Sunday, when N1 million was deducted from his account and transferred to another account.
“I noticed an unusual debit of N1 million from my account,” Babatunde said while explaining what happened.
“I have never shared my account details, including my transaction password, with anyone. So, I don’t understand how that money suddenly disappeared from my account.”
According to the information he later obtained, the money was transferred into an OPay account with the account number 6426593463, bearing the name Zeinab Ohunene Abdulmalik.
Babatunde said he does not know the account holder and has never had any financial transaction with the person.
Immediate Visit to GTBank
After discovering the unexpected debit, Babatunde said he acted quickly and reported the issue to his bank the following day.
He explained that he went directly to a GTBank branch in Lagos on Monday to lodge a formal complaint about the unauthorised transaction.
According to him, he explained everything to the bank officials and expected the bank to immediately begin the process of tracing and recovering the funds.
However, Babatunde said the situation did not improve when he returned to the bank the next day to get feedback on the complaint he had submitted.
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“So, on Tuesday, I went back to the same office to inquire about what had been done, but they told me they couldn’t do anything,” Babatunde said.
He claimed that the bank told him none of its staff members was responsible for the transaction and therefore it could not take responsibility for the missing money.
“They said none of their staff was responsible for the unauthorised transaction, so I should go and look for whoever took the money from my account,” he added.
According to Babatunde, the only action the bank took was to place a restriction on his account after he insisted that something must be done.
Apart from the restriction placed on the account, he said the bank did not offer any further assistance in recovering the money.
Visit to OPay Office
Feeling frustrated with the response he received from GTBank, Babatunde said he decided to visit OPay’s office in search of help.
He explained that he believed the fintech company might be able to track the destination account and possibly assist with recovering the funds.
However, according to him, the response he received there also left him disappointed.
Babatunde said an OPay representative told him the company could not take any action unless GTBank officially notifies OPay about the disputed transaction.
“When I went to the OPay office that same day, their representative told me they could only act if GTBank sends them an email regarding the transaction,” Babatunde explained.
This response meant that the next step would still depend on GTBank initiating formal communication with OPay about the case.
Victim Questions Bank’s Responsibility
Babatunde said he is confused and frustrated by the responses he has received from both institutions.
According to him, it should not be the responsibility of a customer to search for the person who allegedly withdrew money from his bank account.
“Is it my duty to start looking for who stole my money from my GTBank account?” Babatunde asked.
“How can GTBank say they can’t do anything about the issue? All I need is my money, please.”
The furniture maker said the missing funds represent a significant part of his business capital, and losing such an amount has affected his operations.
Attempts to Get Official Responses
When contacted for comments, representatives of both companies did not provide immediate responses to the allegations.
A call was placed to Joshua Folayemi, the Public Relations Manager of OPay, on Wednesday.
According to reports, he declined to comment during the call and asked that a message be sent to him via WhatsApp instead.
However, the message sent to him did not receive any response at the time of reporting.
An email was also sent to GTBank requesting an official statement regarding the incident.
The bank responded with an automated message acknowledging the inquiry.
“Thank you for contacting us. Your request has been logged, and a reference ID has been created. We are prioritising your request and will provide feedback within 24 working hours,” the response stated.
As of the time this report was filed, no further explanation had been provided by the bank regarding the alleged unauthorised transaction.
Growing Concerns About Digital Banking Fraud
Incidents like Babatunde’s case have continued to raise questions about the safety of digital banking transactions in Nigeria.
With the increasing use of mobile banking, USSD services, and fintech platforms, many customers rely heavily on electronic transactions for their daily financial activities.
While banks and fintech companies often advise customers to protect their account details and avoid sharing sensitive information, some victims insist that they never disclosed their credentials before losing money.
Financial experts say that when disputes like this happen, banks usually investigate the transaction trail to determine how the money left the customer’s account and where it was sent.
If the receiving account is traced successfully and funds are still available, the receiving financial institution may freeze the account pending investigation.
However, cooperation between financial institutions is often necessary for such processes to move forward.
What Happens Next?
For Babatunde, the main concern remains recovering the missing N1 million from his account.
He said he hopes the banks involved will work together to investigate the transaction and ensure the money is returned.
Until then, the Lagos furniture maker says he is left with unanswered questions about how the transaction happened and why it has been difficult to resolve.