Some bank customers are frustrated over their inability to link NIN and BVN to their accounts across Kano State.
Daily Trust reports that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had on December 1st 2023, instructed all bank customers to link their National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) to their bank accounts.
The National Identification Number (NIN) consists of 11 non-intelligible numbers randomly chosen and assigned to an individual after completing enrolment into the National Identity Database (NIDB).
The apex bank had also directed that banks should place restrictions on all Tier 1 bank accounts without BVN – accounts that can be opened with a valid identity or proof of address.
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When our reporter visited some banks across the state, specifically Zoo Road, Bank Road and Maiduguri Road, which have collectively more than 50 bank branches, it was discovered that there were long queues at each bank as customers tried to get their accounts linked.
Umar Usman, said he has spent four days without getting his account linked.
He said, “I spent four days coming to this bank just to solve this problem. I don’t even know what to do and I am afraid my account could be blocked.
“What is pinching me the most is that I use the account for business transactions and if anything should happen, it means my means of survival is on the line.”
Also speaking, Mujahid Abubakar said, “After spending two days coming to the bank, finally they asked me to go to a newspaper and arrange my name properly, which will cost me additional money aside from transportation and feeding all through these days.
“As you can see we are many and we seem helpless but we will try and do what we can.”
In a related development, a Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, has instituted a N10 billion suit against the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and four major telecom service providers in Nigeria, before a Lagos Federal High Court.
The four major telecom service providers listed as third to sixth defendants in a suit No.FHC/L/363/2024 are. MTN Nigeria Communications Plc; Airtel Networks Nigeria Limited; Globacom Limited and Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Limited (EMTS) popularly known as 9mobile.
Apart from the order for an award of N10 billion as general damages, the lawyer also asked for a declaration that the action of further barring, restricting and deactivating of the applicant’s phone lines/SIM cards and the phone lines/SIM cards of Nigerian citizens by the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th respondents, upon the directive of the 1st and 2nd respondents from February 28, 2024, till date, despite a valid and subsisting order of court granted against the respondents is wrongful, illegal, unlawful, undemocratic, unconstitutional and thus prejudicial against applicant’s and other affected Nigerian citizens’ fundamental rights to fair hearing as enshrined under Section 36 of the 1399 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The lawyer also sought the court to compel the respondents to immediately activate, debar, unlock, unblock and unrestrict the applicant’s phone lines/SIM cards and the phone lines/SIM cards of the affected Nigerian citizens forthwith and to also tender a public apology to those affected by their actions.
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