₦airaland Forum

For those that followed my previous posts regarding my ordeal with Sterling Bank, thank you for your support and encouragement.

The Bank that once prides itself as the "One Customer Bank" is now a customer business killer. Finally they proved no customer matters to them.

Sadly, Nairaland suddenly hide my previous posts and updates about my Sterling Bank ordeals for reasons I don't know, it was alleged that Sterling Bank influenced it so people don't know what was happening.

I will do well to summarize it and update you on where we are now and why you must be careful in your relationship with Sterling Bank.

In Summary, sometimes in 2022, a staff of Sterling Bank met me as I exited an elevator at Adebola House in Opebi, Lagos and introduced a platform called Sterling Specta. As as that time in 2022, I was running a successful HMO company with over 4,500 retail clients and 500+ hospitals across the country plugged to my HMO. The company was young and growing at a pace I didn't expect so my major financier was a finance house at the island. The finance house pays all my enrollees HMO subscription to the hospitals Whilst my company pays the finance house immediately fund is received from my enrollees and corporate clients; I was also young and enjoying the growth and association with the corporate world of a fantastic mix of Managing Directors and CEOs of various companies my HMO firm manages.

On one afternoon as I exited the elevator at Adebola House, Opebi Ikeja, a young lady approached me and introduced herself as a staff of Sterling Bank and immediately pitched a Sterling Bank app to me. The app was called Sterling Specta and she said it was a one click to instant loan should there be need for it. Out of courtesy I listened to her with the hope I could also pitched the Sterling Bank Staff HMO account. In less than 5min she was done and almost instantly I received a text message of a new account number created for me and in the next few seconds another alert of over 400k entered my phone. It seemed trues and straight forward so we exchanged contacts and I left with my staff.

To cut the long stories short, few days later or weeks I tried to transfer the fund from the Specta account to my regular account but couldn't and I called the Sterling Bank staff who asked me to come to Sterling Bank Aromire off Allen Avenue which I did some days later and I met with her; they were pacing up and down the banking hall; I wasn't sure what the issues were so I stay calm; after about an hour, she told me the fund needs to be released from the head office and that they have sent an email to that effect and that I can leave the bank because the fund would be released in 24hours. So I left.

24hours later the fund wasn't released; three weeks later fund wasn't released.... So I started growing suspicious of it and I told the lady I wasn't comfortable with the transaction because I wasn't sure what was going on. So she said it was an internal issue at their end. That I should write a letter requesting for a reversal of the fund due to my inability to access it. The letter was written and sent to Sterling Bank and she acknowledged receipt of it. Days later she confirmed the fund has been reversed and truly I received several text messages from Sterling Bank about the reversal so that was it.

A month later a got a message from Sterling Bank that I have defaulted in my payment for the reversed loan which I never had access to. Immediately I notified the lady and also sent an email to Sterling Bank; they acknowledged and confirmed my name has been removed.

Life continued,.... About 3months later, Sterling Bank sent me a bill of huge outstanding plus compounded interest calculated on loan default. I started reaching out to them again and they started giving all sorts of reasons and excuses. Finally they confirmed it has been reversed and I was cleared. And everything went silent.

Surprisingly during the 3rd quarter of that year which was about 9 months later, the finance house that funds my HMO company activities called to notify me that they were pausing their financing of my HMO because my name appears on the Credit bureau report for long bad debt with Sterling Bank. I tried explaining verbally that I don't have a loan with Sterling Bank talk less of a bad debt. The verbal explanation did not work. They requested that I provided a "Latter of Non Indebtedness" from Sterling Bank before a particular deadline. I moved across all know Sterling Bank across Lagos but they all refused to issues me the letter. At this point, the hospitals have started notifying my company that funds haven't been received and the finance company insisted that they will have to discontinue financing my company effective the deadline if the letter is not received from Sterling Bank. Sterling Bank continued to refuse issuing the letter until a customer of the bank hinted me to go to a particular branch in Ogun State and told me to ask for a staff called Mariam, that Mariam would do everything necessary to ensure I got the letter. Immediately I set off for Mariam because it was past deadline from the finance house. At this time, our enrollees were already being denied care and treatment across hospitals across the country; my phone began to ring endlessly, enrollees in crises at hospitals denied care, my staff members under pressure, hospitals calling..... It was total chaos. All attempts to source for funds from other finance houses and banks failed because the bad debt with Sterling Bank kept coming up on all credit bureau report.

Finally, I met with Mariam at the Branch in Ogun State. She tried her best but she faced series of frustration from their head office. I was inside the banking hall till 8pm and made to pay for the letter to be issued. It was a gruesome experience but useless because the letter only came after the deadline and the letter was not properly worded so it remained useless.

My mail box was filled with email of termination of HMO contract from over 90% of clients.

It was the beginning of the end for me... At a fast pace I was loosing everything; the impact was unprecedented and unbearable.

The worst part was that after loosing everything, Sterling Bank still refused to remove my name from their debtors list. I reached out severally, called, emailed, etc... At a point I became hopeless and cried at their branch. It was on my way home I remembered I had a lawyer and shared my ordeal with my lawyer. At this point about a year plus and Sterling Bank was still dealing with me. They had increased the figures it claimed I was owing and my name was on red and blacklisted on the credit bureau report. My business was empty, staff members gone and I was struggling to start afresh. I was literally living off from 7 days online loan apps.

My lawyer requested funds to writes Sterling Bank and all these were funded by online loan apps and loan shark funds. It was an unimaginable experience.

After a letter of litigation was sent to Sterling Bank, they started running around trying to appease me. Sending all sorts of people to me and my lawyer. It was at that time, they decided to remove my name from the credit bureau which was over a year of damage and setbacks.

This was now 2023... We were suing for damages to the tune 100m as compensation. When they got the letter, they started pleading and requested for out of court settlement which my lawyer agreed to and asked them to make a proposal to us. After we agreed to the out of court settlement, Sterling Bank went silent again. They stopped contacting us. This shows how lowly they care about their customers. This shows Sterling Bank doesn't care about their customers or consequences of their actions.

Now the case has fully started at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. We had the first hearing this month. Again Sterling Bank lawyers or representative did not show up at the hearing. This is yet another clear evidence, that your One Customer Bank is a Customer Business Killer

Next hearing is on the 13th of May.


For those of you still using Sterling Bank, please be careful and for those who have suffered from their poor service, negligence or fraud, kindly reach out to me, lets pound them together.

If Sterling Bank fails to reach out to me in a week time, I am assembling a team of bloggers and press team to expose Sterling Bank to Nigerians and I will be happy to publish your negative experience with Sterling Bank alongside my bitter experience.

Sterling Bank.... Your One Customer Bank indeed....

Please proceed with the litigations. They ruined your business and reputation. Do not agree for any out of court settlement

Toh

I was planning to open an account with them next week. Thanks for this update Sir. I do hope you get justice 👍🏼

Na format One Bank Staff did the same to me, imagine someone granting me loan on my own money. I changeam for them. Sometimes it is the over desperate marketers that commits people into such nonsense.

Zik4zik:
On one afternoon as I exited the elevator.....

....they were pacing up and down the banking hall;

These 2 lines should have made you suspect they were yahoo agents working with fraudsters in the bank with the knowledge of the bank.

Make sure you sue plus cost of suing please so you are not out of pocket. Include future income you will not make due to the damage done to your business and reputation too, plus compensation for stress caused. And report the bank to the financial regulator.

Just continue with the litigation and if possible copy the cbn. your story and pains really touches my heart

Wow it's easy to bring a giant down.
If only you had not waited to listen to that lady at the elevator 😔

Please make every effort to obtain a court ruling on the matter, and ensure the outcome is made public. Do not agree to any out-of-court settlement unless it includes a clearly documented offer with specific terms for implementation. @seun @helinues pls help with FP

You shouldn't be giving them any ultimatum. Just search for Fisayo Sonyombo of fij.ng and explain your ordeal to to him. Your ordeal will become an history.

One rule I have learnt in the business world and in life generally. Do not beg a bully, connect with a power higher than that bully and the bully will scamper for safety.

You were too quick to take the 'out-of-court' settlement. Your lawyer has to squeeze the tie around their necks and let them beg for fresh air.

Zik4zik:
For those that followed my previous posts regarding my ordeal with Sterling Bank, thank you for your support and encouragement.

The Bank that once prides itself as the "One Customer Bank" is now a customer business killer. Finally they proved no customer matters to them.

Sadly, Nairaland suddenly hide my previous posts and updates about my Sterling Bank ordeals for reasons I don't know, it was alleged that Sterling Bank influenced it so people don't know what was happening.

I will do well to summarize it and update you on where we are now and why you must be careful in your relationship with Sterling Bank.

In Summary, sometimes in 2022, a staff of Sterling Bank met me as I exited an elevator at Adebola House in Opebi, Lagos and introduced a platform called Sterling Specta. As as that time in 2022, I was running a successful HMO company with over 4,500 retail clients and 500+ hospitals across the country plugged to my HMO. The company was young and growing at a pace I didn't expect so my major financier was a finance house at the island. The finance house pays all my enrollees HMO subscription to the hospitals Whilst my company pays the finance house immediately fund is received from my enrollees and corporate clients; I was also young and enjoying the growth and association with the corporate world of a fantastic mix of Managing Directors and CEOs of various companies my HMO firm manages.

On one afternoon as I exited the elevator at Adebola House, Opebi Ikeja, a young lady approached me and introduced herself as a staff of Sterling Bank and immediately pitched a Sterling Bank app to me. The app was called Sterling Specta and she said it was a one click to instant loan should there be need for it. Out of courtesy I listened to her with the hope I could also pitched the Sterling Bank Staff HMO account. In less than 5min she was done and almost instantly I received a text message of a new account number created for me and in the next few seconds another alert of over 400k entered my phone. It seemed trues and straight forward so we exchanged contacts and I left with my staff.

To cut the long stories short, few days later or weeks I tried to transfer the fund from the Specta account to my regular account but couldn't and I called the Sterling Bank staff who asked me to come to Sterling Bank Aromire off Allen Avenue which I did some days later and I met with her; they were pacing up and down the banking hall; I wasn't sure what the issues were so I stay calm; after about an hour, she told me the fund needs to be released from the head office and that they have sent an email to that effect and that I can leave the bank because the fund would be released in 24hours. So I left.

24hours later the fund wasn't released; three weeks later fund wasn't released.... So I started growing suspicious of it and I told the lady I wasn't comfortable with the transaction because I wasn't sure what was going on. So she said it was an internal issue at their end. That I should write a letter requesting for a reversal of the fund due to my inability to access it. The letter was written and sent to Sterling Bank and she acknowledged receipt of it. Days later she confirmed the fund has been reversed and truly I received several text messages from Sterling Bank about the reversal so that was it.

A month later a got a message from Sterling Bank that I have defaulted in my payment for the reversed loan which I never had access to. Immediately I notified the lady and also sent an email to Sterling Bank; they acknowledged and confirmed my name has been removed.

Life continued,.... About 3months later, Sterling Bank sent me a bill of huge outstanding plus compounded interest calculated on loan default. I started reaching out to them again and they started giving all sorts of reasons and excuses. Finally they confirmed it has been reversed and I was cleared. And everything went silent.

Surprisingly during the 3rd quarter of that year which was about 9 months later, the finance house that funds my HMO company activities called to notify me that they were pausing their financing of my HMO because my name appears on the Credit bureau report for long bad debt with Sterling Bank. I tried explaining verbally that I don't have a loan with Sterling Bank talk less of a bad debt. The verbal explanation did not work. They requested that I provided a "Latter of Non Indebtedness" from Sterling Bank before a particular deadline. I moved across all know Sterling Bank across Lagos but they all refused to issues me the letter. At this point, the hospitals have started notifying my company that funds haven't been received and the finance company insisted that they will have to discontinue financing my company effective the deadline if the letter is not received from Sterling Bank. Sterling Bank continued to refuse issuing the letter until a customer of the bank hinted me to go to a particular branch in Ogun State and told me to ask for a staff called Mariam, that Mariam would do everything necessary to ensure I got the letter. Immediately I set off for Mariam because it was past deadline from the finance house. At this time, our enrollees were already being denied care and treatment across hospitals across the country; my phone began to ring endlessly, enrollees in crises at hospitals denied care, my staff members under pressure, hospitals calling..... It was total chaos. All attempts to source for funds from other finance houses and banks failed because the bad debt with Sterling Bank kept coming up on all credit bureau report.

Finally, I met with Mariam at the Branch in Ogun State. She tried her best but she faced series of frustration from their head office. I was inside the banking hall till 8pm and made to pay for the letter to be issued. It was a gruesome experience but useless because the letter only came after the deadline and the letter was not properly worded so it remained useless.

My mail box was filled with email of termination of HMO contract from over 90% of clients.

It was the beginning of the end for me... At a fast pace I was loosing everything; the impact was unprecedented and unbearable.

The worst part was that after loosing everything, Sterling Bank still refused to remove my name from their debtors list. I reached out severally, called, emailed, etc... At a point I became hopeless and cried at their branch. It was on my way home I remembered I had a lawyer and shared my ordeal with my lawyer. At this point about a year plus and Sterling Bank was still dealing with me. They had increased the figures it claimed I was owing and my name was on red and blacklisted on the credit bureau report. My business was empty, staff members gone and I was struggling to start afresh. I was literally living off from 7 days online loan apps.

My lawyer requested funds to writes Sterling Bank and all these were funded by online loan apps and loan shark funds. It was an unimaginable experience.

After a letter of litigation was sent to Sterling Bank, they started running around trying to appease me. Sending all sorts of people to me and my lawyer. It was at that time, they decided to remove my name from the credit bureau which was over a year of damage and setbacks.

This was now 2023... We were suing for damages to the tune 100m as compensation. When they got the letter, they started pleading and requested for out of court settlement which my lawyer agreed to and asked them to make a proposal to us. After we agreed to the out of court settlement, Sterling Bank went silent again. They stopped contacting us. This shows how lowly they care about their customers. This shows Sterling Bank doesn't care about their customers or consequences of their actions.

Now the case has fully started at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. We had the first hearing this month. Again Sterling Bank lawyers or representative did not show up at the hearing. This is yet another clear evidence, that your One Customer Bank is a Customer Business Killer

Next hearing is on the 13th of May.


For those of you still using Sterling Bank, please be careful and for those who have suffered from their poor service, negligence or fraud, kindly reach out to me, lets pound them together.

If Sterling Bank fails to reach out to me in a week time, I am assembling a team of bloggers and press team to expose Sterling Bank to Nigerians and I will be happy to publish your negative experience with Sterling Bank alongside my bitter experience.

Sterling Bank.... Your One Customer Bank indeed....

This time do not agree to an out-of-court settlement unless they make a significant payment as evidence of seriousness!

Don't accept any out of court settlement this time around ooo

With what i just read, 100 million os too smal a sum, you should jave kpt it between a billion and 10 billion.

Nigerian banking system is an organized crime syndicate.

idahme:
With what i just read, 100 million os too smal a sum, you should jave kpt it between a billion and 10 billion.

was about saying the same thing.. 100m too small

Will they pay?

Pele

You had a potential mega startup that could have landed you on the Forbes list deleted by demons, and you are suing for #100M and even hopping on an out-of-court settlement? Why do you think they'd rate you or take you seriously?

You seem very naive and easily swayed. Could it be the effect of the harsh times you've been through? Let's hope it is. If not, I see you bouncing back and falling even more hopelessly in no time with an attitude and approach like this.

I'd advise you to go get yourself a lawyer who knows his/her onion and not the "Quit Notice or Affidavit" lawyer you currently have.

God wants to replace all that the cankerworms have eaten from you by and with a multi-billion naira bank yet, you are fighting heavily with the aid of a land agreement lawyer to truncate it.

Some of us ehn?

This is messed up for real.
It must hurt to have your empire crumble because of negligence from a reputable firm.
Op I hope you get the justice you deserve

Zik4zik:
For those that followed my previous posts regarding my ordeal with Sterling Bank, thank you for your support and encouragement.

The Bank that once prides itself as the "One Customer Bank" is now a customer business killer. Finally they proved no customer matters to them.

Sadly, Nairaland suddenly hide my previous posts and updates about my Sterling Bank ordeals for reasons I don't know, it was alleged that Sterling Bank influenced it so people don't know what was happening.

I will do well to summarize it and update you on where we are now and why you must be careful in your relationship with Sterling Bank.

In Summary, sometimes in 2022, a staff of Sterling Bank met me as I exited an elevator at Adebola House in Opebi, Lagos and introduced a platform called Sterling Specta. As as that time in 2022, I was running a successful HMO company with over 4,500 retail clients and 500+ hospitals across the country plugged to my HMO. The company was young and growing at a pace I didn't expect so my major financier was a finance house at the island. The finance house pays all my enrollees HMO subscription to the hospitals Whilst my company pays the finance house immediately fund is received from my enrollees and corporate clients; I was also young and enjoying the growth and association with the corporate world of a fantastic mix of Managing Directors and CEOs of various companies my HMO firm manages.

On one afternoon as I exited the elevator at Adebola House, Opebi Ikeja, a young lady approached me and introduced herself as a staff of Sterling Bank and immediately pitched a Sterling Bank app to me. The app was called Sterling Specta and she said it was a one click to instant loan should there be need for it. Out of courtesy I listened to her with the hope I could also pitched the Sterling Bank Staff HMO account. In less than 5min she was done and almost instantly I received a text message of a new account number created for me and in the next few seconds another alert of over 400k entered my phone. It seemed trues and straight forward so we exchanged contacts and I left with my staff.

To cut the long stories short, few days later or weeks I tried to transfer the fund from the Specta account to my regular account but couldn't and I called the Sterling Bank staff who asked me to come to Sterling Bank Aromire off Allen Avenue which I did some days later and I met with her; they were pacing up and down the banking hall; I wasn't sure what the issues were so I stay calm; after about an hour, she told me the fund needs to be released from the head office and that they have sent an email to that effect and that I can leave the bank because the fund would be released in 24hours. So I left.

24hours later the fund wasn't released; three weeks later fund wasn't released.... So I started growing suspicious of it and I told the lady I wasn't comfortable with the transaction because I wasn't sure what was going on. So she said it was an internal issue at their end. That I should write a letter requesting for a reversal of the fund due to my inability to access it. The letter was written and sent to Sterling Bank and she acknowledged receipt of it. Days later she confirmed the fund has been reversed and truly I received several text messages from Sterling Bank about the reversal so that was it.

A month later a got a message from Sterling Bank that I have defaulted in my payment for the reversed loan which I never had access to. Immediately I notified the lady and also sent an email to Sterling Bank; they acknowledged and confirmed my name has been removed.

Life continued,.... About 3months later, Sterling Bank sent me a bill of huge outstanding plus compounded interest calculated on loan default. I started reaching out to them again and they started giving all sorts of reasons and excuses. Finally they confirmed it has been reversed and I was cleared. And everything went silent.

Surprisingly during the 3rd quarter of that year which was about 9 months later, the finance house that funds my HMO company activities called to notify me that they were pausing their financing of my HMO because my name appears on the Credit bureau report for long bad debt with Sterling Bank. I tried explaining verbally that I don't have a loan with Sterling Bank talk less of a bad debt. The verbal explanation did not work. They requested that I provided a "Latter of Non Indebtedness" from Sterling Bank before a particular deadline. I moved across all know Sterling Bank across Lagos but they all refused to issues me the letter. At this point, the hospitals have started notifying my company that funds haven't been received and the finance company insisted that they will have to discontinue financing my company effective the deadline if the letter is not received from Sterling Bank. Sterling Bank continued to refuse issuing the letter until a customer of the bank hinted me to go to a particular branch in Ogun State and told me to ask for a staff called Mariam, that Mariam would do everything necessary to ensure I got the letter. Immediately I set off for Mariam because it was past deadline from the finance house. At this time, our enrollees were already being denied care and treatment across hospitals across the country; my phone began to ring endlessly, enrollees in crises at hospitals denied care, my staff members under pressure, hospitals calling..... It was total chaos. All attempts to source for funds from other finance houses and banks failed because the bad debt with Sterling Bank kept coming up on all credit bureau report.

Finally, I met with Mariam at the Branch in Ogun State. She tried her best but she faced series of frustration from their head office. I was inside the banking hall till 8pm and made to pay for the letter to be issued. It was a gruesome experience but useless because the letter only came after the deadline and the letter was not properly worded so it remained useless.

My mail box was filled with email of termination of HMO contract from over 90% of clients.

It was the beginning of the end for me... At a fast pace I was loosing everything; the impact was unprecedented and unbearable.

The worst part was that after loosing everything, Sterling Bank still refused to remove my name from their debtors list. I reached out severally, called, emailed, etc... At a point I became hopeless and cried at their branch. It was on my way home I remembered I had a lawyer and shared my ordeal with my lawyer. At this point about a year plus and Sterling Bank was still dealing with me. They had increased the figures it claimed I was owing and my name was on red and blacklisted on the credit bureau report. My business was empty, staff members gone and I was struggling to start afresh. I was literally living off from 7 days online loan apps.

My lawyer requested funds to writes Sterling Bank and all these were funded by online loan apps and loan shark funds. It was an unimaginable experience.

After a letter of litigation was sent to Sterling Bank, they started running around trying to appease me. Sending all sorts of people to me and my lawyer. It was at that time, they decided to remove my name from the credit bureau which was over a year of damage and setbacks.

This was now 2023... We were suing for damages to the tune 100m as compensation. When they got the letter, they started pleading and requested for out of court settlement which my lawyer agreed to and asked them to make a proposal to us. After we agreed to the out of court settlement, Sterling Bank went silent again. They stopped contacting us. This shows how lowly they care about their customers. This shows Sterling Bank doesn't care about their customers or consequences of their actions.

Now the case has fully started at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. We had the first hearing this month. Again Sterling Bank lawyers or representative did not show up at the hearing. This is yet another clear evidence, that your One Customer Bank is a Customer Business Killer

Next hearing is on the 13th of May.


For those of you still using Sterling Bank, please be careful and for those who have suffered from their poor service, negligence or fraud, kindly reach out to me, lets pound them together.

If Sterling Bank fails to reach out to me in a week time, I am assembling a team of bloggers and press team to expose Sterling Bank to Nigerians and I will be happy to publish your negative experience with Sterling Bank alongside my bitter experience.

Sterling Bank.... Your One Customer Bank indeed....

They can advertise for Africa but their services and network ehhhh


E go put customer for shame amd trouble

idahme:
With what i just read, 100 million os too smal a sum, you should jave kpt it between a billion and 10 billion.

The law does not work based on sentiments!

Any amount he claims as damages he will have to prove before a court of law that he actually lost that amount as a result of negligence on the part of the bank

Slam dunk! Increase the amount you are demanding. Plead the state of your emotion and the ruin of your business. It is good that you have all the letters and documentation. I wish I was a part of your legal team. I have a client whose 50k is with fcmb for 3 years now. I'll ensure the matter goes to court just for the embarrassment it'll cause them. These corporate bodies need to learn. They are making so much off customers for them to still be useless to their affairs.

Zik4zik:
For those that followed my previous posts regarding my ordeal with Sterling Bank, thank you for your support and encouragement.

The Bank that once prides itself as the "One Customer Bank" is now a customer business killer. Finally they proved no customer matters to them.

Sadly, Nairaland suddenly hide my previous posts and updates about my Sterling Bank ordeals for reasons I don't know, it was alleged that Sterling Bank influenced it so people don't know what was happening.

I will do well to summarize it and update you on where we are now and why you must be careful in your relationship with Sterling Bank.

In Summary, sometimes in 2022, a staff of Sterling Bank met me as I exited an elevator at Adebola House in Opebi, Lagos and introduced a platform called Sterling Specta. As as that time in 2022, I was running a successful HMO company with over 4,500 retail clients and 500+ hospitals across the country plugged to my HMO. The company was young and growing at a pace I didn't expect so my major financier was a finance house at the island. The finance house pays all my enrollees HMO subscription to the hospitals Whilst my company pays the finance house immediately fund is received from my enrollees and corporate clients; I was also young and enjoying the growth and association with the corporate world of a fantastic mix of Managing Directors and CEOs of various companies my HMO firm manages.

On one afternoon as I exited the elevator at Adebola House, Opebi Ikeja, a young lady approached me and introduced herself as a staff of Sterling Bank and immediately pitched a Sterling Bank app to me. The app was called Sterling Specta and she said it was a one click to instant loan should there be need for it. Out of courtesy I listened to her with the hope I could also pitched the Sterling Bank Staff HMO account. In less than 5min she was done and almost instantly I received a text message of a new account number created for me and in the next few seconds another alert of over 400k entered my phone. It seemed trues and straight forward so we exchanged contacts and I left with my staff.

To cut the long stories short, few days later or weeks I tried to transfer the fund from the Specta account to my regular account but couldn't and I called the Sterling Bank staff who asked me to come to Sterling Bank Aromire off Allen Avenue which I did some days later and I met with her; they were pacing up and down the banking hall; I wasn't sure what the issues were so I stay calm; after about an hour, she told me the fund needs to be released from the head office and that they have sent an email to that effect and that I can leave the bank because the fund would be released in 24hours. So I left.

24hours later the fund wasn't released; three weeks later fund wasn't released.... So I started growing suspicious of it and I told the lady I wasn't comfortable with the transaction because I wasn't sure what was going on. So she said it was an internal issue at their end. That I should write a letter requesting for a reversal of the fund due to my inability to access it. The letter was written and sent to Sterling Bank and she acknowledged receipt of it. Days later she confirmed the fund has been reversed and truly I received several text messages from Sterling Bank about the reversal so that was it.

A month later a got a message from Sterling Bank that I have defaulted in my payment for the reversed loan which I never had access to. Immediately I notified the lady and also sent an email to Sterling Bank; they acknowledged and confirmed my name has been removed.

Life continued,.... About 3months later, Sterling Bank sent me a bill of huge outstanding plus compounded interest calculated on loan default. I started reaching out to them again and they started giving all sorts of reasons and excuses. Finally they confirmed it has been reversed and I was cleared. And everything went silent.

Surprisingly during the 3rd quarter of that year which was about 9 months later, the finance house that funds my HMO company activities called to notify me that they were pausing their financing of my HMO because my name appears on the Credit bureau report for long bad debt with Sterling Bank. I tried explaining verbally that I don't have a loan with Sterling Bank talk less of a bad debt. The verbal explanation did not work. They requested that I provided a "Latter of Non Indebtedness" from Sterling Bank before a particular deadline. I moved across all know Sterling Bank across Lagos but they all refused to issues me the letter. At this point, the hospitals have started notifying my company that funds haven't been received and the finance company insisted that they will have to discontinue financing my company effective the deadline if the letter is not received from Sterling Bank. Sterling Bank continued to refuse issuing the letter until a customer of the bank hinted me to go to a particular branch in Ogun State and told me to ask for a staff called Mariam, that Mariam would do everything necessary to ensure I got the letter. Immediately I set off for Mariam because it was past deadline from the finance house. At this time, our enrollees were already being denied care and treatment across hospitals across the country; my phone began to ring endlessly, enrollees in crises at hospitals denied care, my staff members under pressure, hospitals calling..... It was total chaos. All attempts to source for funds from other finance houses and banks failed because the bad debt with Sterling Bank kept coming up on all credit bureau report.

Finally, I met with Mariam at the Branch in Ogun State. She tried her best but she faced series of frustration from their head office. I was inside the banking hall till 8pm and made to pay for the letter to be issued. It was a gruesome experience but useless because the letter only came after the deadline and the letter was not properly worded so it remained useless.

My mail box was filled with email of termination of HMO contract from over 90% of clients.

It was the beginning of the end for me... At a fast pace I was loosing everything; the impact was unprecedented and unbearable.

The worst part was that after loosing everything, Sterling Bank still refused to remove my name from their debtors list. I reached out severally, called, emailed, etc... At a point I became hopeless and cried at their branch. It was on my way home I remembered I had a lawyer and shared my ordeal with my lawyer. At this point about a year plus and Sterling Bank was still dealing with me. They had increased the figures it claimed I was owing and my name was on red and blacklisted on the credit bureau report. My business was empty, staff members gone and I was struggling to start afresh. I was literally living off from 7 days online loan apps.

My lawyer requested funds to writes Sterling Bank and all these were funded by online loan apps and loan shark funds. It was an unimaginable experience.

After a letter of litigation was sent to Sterling Bank, they started running around trying to appease me. Sending all sorts of people to me and my lawyer. It was at that time, they decided to remove my name from the credit bureau which was over a year of damage and setbacks.

This was now 2023... We were suing for damages to the tune 100m as compensation. When they got the letter, they started pleading and requested for out of court settlement which my lawyer agreed to and asked them to make a proposal to us. After we agreed to the out of court settlement, Sterling Bank went silent again. They stopped contacting us. This shows how lowly they care about their customers. This shows Sterling Bank doesn't care about their customers or consequences of their actions.

Now the case has fully started at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. We had the first hearing this month. Again Sterling Bank lawyers or representative did not show up at the hearing. This is yet another clear evidence, that your One Customer Bank is a Customer Business Killer

Next hearing is on the 13th of May.


For those of you still using Sterling Bank, please be careful and for those who have suffered from their poor service, negligence or fraud, kindly reach out to me, lets pound them together.

If Sterling Bank fails to reach out to me in a week time, I am assembling a team of bloggers and press team to expose Sterling Bank to Nigerians and I will be happy to publish your negative experience with Sterling Bank alongside my bitter experience.

Sterling Bank.... Your One Customer Bank indeed....

Wow!!!
Please, how is your HMO business now?
Hope it is back and running?

TreasureHunter:
The law does not work based on sentiments!

Any amount he claims as damages he will have to prove before a court of law that he actually lost that amount as a result of negligence on the part of the bank

I know, with what he has explained i have already seen a possibility of bim loosing billions from that single act of that bank, this isn't emotions and has nothing to do with emotions. I can visibly link real time losses with that loan ajd download spiralling of his company.

Update:

A female lawyer called my lawyer and introduced herself as the lawyer representing Sterling Bank and threatened to sue me for defamation of character if I don't delete my stories. My one customer bank is threatening to sue me for telling my stories.

Dear lawyer representing Sterling Bank... He that is down need fear no fall. Sterling Bank has already finished me so what next ?


Madam Lawyer representing Sterling Bank, if you don't write an apology letter to me through my lawyer before close of work tomorrow 23rd of April 2025 I will have to reach out to VDM (very dark man) with copies and evidences of my correspondence with Sterling Bank; I believe it is in your nature or in the nature of your principal to intimidate customer who speak out when oppressed; If i still don't get your apology letter by Friday 25th or April, i will share my story and all evidences and correspondence from Sterling Bank to an army of assembled bloggers waiting to hear from me.

I have tried to tell my stories without going into the deep painful details of the consequences of what Sterling Bank did and a coat wearing lawyer is calling to bully me for telling my story of what Sterling Bank did to me. I know it is because you have no regards for me or any of your customers, you chose to bully me instead of reaching out for peaceful recollection.

Stories on nairaland or where

Zik4zik:
Update:

A female lawyer called my lawyer and introduced herself as the lawyer representing Sterling Bank and threatened to sue me for defamation of character if I don't delete my stories. My one customer bank is threatening to sue me for telling my stories.

Dear lawyer representing Sterling Bank... He that is down need fear no fall. Sterling Bank has already finished me so what next ?


Madam Lawyer representing Sterling Bank, if you don't write an apology letter to me through my lawyer before close of work tomorrow 23rd of April 2025 I will have to reach out to VDM (very dark man) with copies and evidences of my correspondence with Sterling Bank; I believe it is in your nature or in the nature of your principal to intimidate customer who speak out when oppressed; If i still don't get your apology letter by Friday 25th or April, i will share my story and all evidences and correspondence from Sterling Bank to an army of assembled bloggers waiting to hear from me.

I have tried to tell my stories without going into the deep painful details of the consequences of what Sterling Bank did and a coat wearing lawyer is calling to bully me for telling my story of what Sterling Bank did to me. I know it is because you have no regards for me or any of your customers, you chose to bully me instead of reaching out for peaceful recollection.

I will advice that since the matter is in court, you should limit what you post in the media. Continue giving us update on Court proceedings but DO NOT expose your moves. Your plan on assembling bloggers is counterproductive, the Bank could petition the security agencies accusing you of cyber intimidation. 😉

PS: Do not agree to out of court settlement. Let the law take its course!