By Emma Okonji: Source: Thisday Live

The manner in which some deposit money banks are implementing the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) directive on Bank Verification Number (BVN), is becoming a source of worry to some concerned bank customers.

CBN had directed all banks to ensure that their customers register for BVN before June 30th, 2015, in order to protect all online financial transactions from fraudulent attacks.

Ahead of the June 30 deadline, some banks were said to have started denying customers who have not registered for BVN, from carrying out certain financial transactions, irrespective of the urgency and importance of such transactions.

Narrating his ordeal to THISDAY on Tuesday, the President of Information Technology System and Security Professionals (ITSSP), Mr. Rogba Adeoye, alleged that other banks’ customers were prevented from carrying out certain financial transactions in UBA, even as the deadline had not elapsed.

Describing the development as “blatant abuse of personal rights, without recourse to the purpose for which the transaction was meant for”, Adeoye said: "If a First Bank customer for instance, wants to transfer money from UBA to a UBA account holder who needs the money as deposit for medical bills before commencement of treatment in a hospital, the person will not be allowed to do so just because he or she is yet to register for BVN, whose registration deadline is June 30, 2015.”

Adeoye who said he witnessed how people were turned back from one of the UBA branches, called on UBA and other banks to allow customers the freedom to carry out financial transactions without intimidation. He said it would be proper for banks to create enough awareness on the need for customers to register for BVN and then wait till after June 30, 2015, before enforcing it.

Looking at it from a social security point of view, Adeoye told THISDAY that enforcing the BVN policy before the expiration of the deadline is not only premature, but also amounts to abuse of fundamental human rights. People on emergency mission will be deprived of their rights and this could be disastrous to an individual, family and nation, he added.

He advised banks to develop software that will address fraud in the financial sector, rather than denying people from carrying out financial transactions, for the mere reason that they were yet to register for BVN.
Adeoye equally called on the apex bank, the CBN, to urgently look into the matter.

Adeoye who frowned on the manner in which different government agencies carry out individual biometric registration, said the multiplicity of registration from different groups like telecoms operators on SIM card registration, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on national identity card registration, Federal Road Safety Corps on Driver's Licence registration, coupled with banks's registration on BVN, have defeated the purpose of achieving a single database for Nigeria, through a single registration from an authorised government agency. - See more at: http://www.exlinklodge.com/2015/06/customers-accuse-banks-of-unlawful.html#sthash.Ywrw9bOY.dpuf




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