Customers of Providus Bank have threatened to close their accounts following allegations of unauthorised access to their debit and payment cards.

The concerns come days after several customers reported suspicious transactions, claiming that millions of naira were withdrawn from their accounts without their authorisation.

Efforts to get a response from the bank have so far been unsuccessful. When contacted on July 3, Providus Bank’s Head of Corporate Communications, Dafe Ivwurie, said he would respond to the allegations but had yet to do so more than a week later. Similarly, the Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Babatunde Bamigboye, did not respond to enquiries.

The bank’s silence has heightened concerns among affected customers, with many questioning the security of their accounts.

Reacting to the development, the President of the Bank Customers Association of Nigeria, Dr. Uju Ogunbunka, described the situation as unfortunate and urged Providus Bank to investigate the incident, identify the cause and address any security lapses.

He advised affected customers to report their complaints to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and consider switching to other banks if they are dissatisfied with Providus Bank’s response.

The development comes months after hackers reportedly gained unauthorised access to the systems of Remita, Sterling Bank, Providus Bank and other financial institutions in March.