GTBank Allegedly Arrests Customer, Activists Over Protest On Missing N2.3Million
The management of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) branch in Kosofe, Lagos State, on Monday, allegedly ordered the arrest of a customer, Adewale Ariyo, and four activists during a protest over the alleged disappearance of about N2.3 million from his account.
They were allegedly arrested at the GTBank premises in Kosofe, Lagos State.
One of the detainees while speaking with Saharareporters, said the protest was peaceful until the branch manager of GTBank Kosofe allegedly called in police officers from the Alapere Police Division to remove them forcibly.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, Ariyo said, “GTB is a fraud. This is the second time, GTB, you have defrauded me of my money. Return it.”
SaharaReporters noted that Ariyo had earlier told the medium that after the outlet reported the missing money, the bank initially reversed the transaction. However, after a few hours, the money was removed again.
On April 14, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that Ariyo accused the bank of ordering his arrest after he staged a protest inside a Lagos branch over the alleged disappearance of money from his account.
READ ALSO
- GTBank Arrests Customer For Protesting N2.1m Disappearance From Account
- GTBank CEO Keeps Journalists In Jail As Court Denies Bail In Cyberstalking Case
Ariyo told SaharaReporters that he visited the GTBank branch in the Kosofe area of Lagos to demand an explanation after discovering that unauthorised transactions amounting to over N2 million had been made on his account, allegedly via the online shopping platform Jumia — a platform he insists he has never used.
“On Saturday, the 7th of last week, I discovered that N2,000,000 had been debited from my GTBank account without my authorisation,” Ariyo said.
“As soon as I noticed the transaction, I immediately called GTBank customer care to report the incident and request that my account be blocked. Unfortunately, before they could act, the unauthorised transactions had already increased.”
According to him, the bank claimed the transactions were made using his debit card on Jumia, but Ariyo disputed this.
“I have never used Jumia in my life. I didn’t authorise any purchases or payments, and my card was with me the entire time. My phone was also with me—nobody else had access to it,” he said.
In an attempt to clarify things, he visited the GTBank branch in Kosofe to request a detailed account statement.
However, he said his requests were met with resistance.
“I asked the bank staff to print out a statement showing all transactions prior to and during the incident. When I began to raise my voice in frustration, the manager called the police from the Alapere Police Station,” Ariyo explained.
He said officers from Alapere station asked him to write a formal complaint and advised that his lawyer file a petition concerning the transactions.
“What shocked me the most was that when I requested a screenshot or statement showing the exact transactions, I was told the bank cannot trace the specific action details and therefore cannot provide a record of the suspicious debits,” he said.
“The only thing visible is the remaining balance and the last successful transaction that I personally made before the issue started.”
Ariyo said he raised the alarm out of desperation, fearing that the bank’s inability to trace or explain such a significant loss of funds reflects deeper security lapses.
“The reason I protested was simple; N2 million disappeared from my account without my authorisation, and the bank cannot give me a proper explanation. How are customers supposed to feel safe?” he asked.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
