How GTBank Conspired With EFCC To Arrest Suspects – Former Lawyer
A former external recovery lawyer for Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) has accused the financial institution of working hand-in-hand with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to secretly arrest customers by unlawfully restricting access to their accounts.
The lawyer, who shared his experience in an interview with Oweleketv, claimed that GTBank and the EFCC operate an illegal scheme where suspects’ accounts are restricted without court orders, forcing them to visit bank branches, where EFCC officials are then alerted for arrest.
“We took both the EFCC and GTBank to court, and the court awarded damages against GTBank, which they have since paid,” he revealed.
According to him, the EFCC sends letters to banks instructing them to disable all digital transaction options on a suspect’s account—such as mobile apps, internet banking, and ATM access—without any accompanying court order.
“What the EFCC typically does is send a letter to the bank requesting the removal of all non-banking transaction channels from an account. That means you can’t use your phone, laptop, or ATM card to make transfers—you’re forced to go to the bank physically.
“It’s essentially a restriction, and they do it without a court order, which is illegal. They’ve done it repeatedly, and that’s why we had to go to court,” he said.
He explained that banks are not legally bound to act on such EFCC letters unless they are accompanied by a valid court order, but GTBank has allegedly continued to comply without question.
“The bank is not under any legal obligation to honour an EFCC letter restricting someone’s account unless it’s backed by a court order. But they keep obeying those letters. They restrict people’s accounts and set a trap for the EFCC’s targets.”
He further alleged that once a victim visits the branch to complain, GTBank intentionally delays them while secretly informing the EFCC of their presence.
“When you suddenly can’t use your ATM or mobile app, you’re forced to visit the branch. Once you’re there, the bank secretly alerts the EFCC that their target has arrived.
“GTBank will intentionally delay you while the EFCC is on their way to make the arrest. That has been their modus operandi, and GTBank in particular is notorious for it.”
Despite working closely with the bank in the past, the lawyer said he faced the same trap and had to seek legal redress.
“I’m one of the external recovery lawyers for GTBank, but when I experienced this personally, I had no choice but to take both the EFCC and the bank to court. The court ruled in our favour and awarded damages, which they actually paid.”
This revelation comes amid public outrage over the arrest and continued detention of social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), with many Nigerians accusing GTBank of collaborating with the EFCC to target individuals critical of the system.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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