Following allegation of disclosure of confidential financial information belonging to a late customer, Dr Charles Oladeinde Williams and that of his widow, without authorisation, the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has been sued for ₦1 billion.
The suit which is before Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, was filed by Mrs. Iyabo Fadairo, Mr. Lanre Omotade, and Mrs. Gloria Obafunke Williams who are the appointed executors of the late Dr Williams’ estate.
The court filings indicated that the bank is being accused of unlawfully releasing detailed financial records to three relatives of the deceased namely; Omolara, Olawale, and Temitope Oladeinde Williams as well as a police officer, ASP Sunday Oyegbata, without securing the consent of the legal representatives of the estate or obtaining a court order.
Joined as defendant in the suit is the Inspector General of Police (IGP), expressing serious concerns about the likely misuse of police authority in obtaining private information.
Documents allegedly released by the bank include; Two years of statements for the deceased’s personal current account (2019–2022), Three years of joint account records with his widow (2018–2022), Signature mandate forms linked to the joint account and 11 months of statements from a separate savings account.
The court papers further indicated that despite obtaining probate in December 2022, thereby legally granting them the right to manage the estate, the plaintiffs claimed that UBA bypassed them entirely and handed over the private records to unauthorized parties.
The plaintiffs said they are not only seeking financial compensation, but also desired to establish a judicial precedent that will reinforce the responsibility of Nigerian banks to safeguard customer data, even after the death of a customer.
In an affidavit submitted to the court, Mr. Lanre Omotade, a Canada-based co-plaintiff, said that UBA’s actions constitute a clear violation of their constitutional and statutory rights to privacy as he referenced Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 30 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
Omotade further said; “UBA owed us both a fiduciary responsibility and a duty of care. By disclosing these sensitive financial documents without our consent, they breached that duty and violated our legal rights”.
He also said that multiple pre-litigation letters were sent to the bank starting in July 2023 through their legal representatives, Bamidele Ibironke & Co., demanding accountability, adding that to their greatest surprise, UBA ignored their requests and failed to provide feedback on any internal investigation or remedial action.
The plaintiffs also claimed that the unauthorized disclosure of the bank records has resulted in public embarrassment, emotional trauma, and reputational damage, particularly as the private financial history of the deceased and his widow has been exposed to extended family and third parties.
The court papers also showed that the plaintiffs also accused ASP Sunday Oyegbata of misusing his position in the Nigeria Police Force to obtain the bank records for malicious purposes, including harassment and defamation.
Accordingly, the plaintiffs are praying the court to declare that the United Bank for Africa (UBA), violated their rights to privacy under Nigerian law and to also declare that the Bank breached its fiduciary and professional obligations to the deceased and his estate.
The plaintiffs are also demanding an award of ₦1 billion as general damages against the UBA for alleged negligence, recklessness, and unauthorized disclosure.
They also asked the court to Issue a declaration that the Inspector General of Police, ASP Oyegbata, and the deceased’s relatives also violated their privacy rights and also urged the court to direct each of the co-defendants to pay an additional ₦1 billion in damages for their individual roles in the alleged violations.
The case has been adjourned to July 22, 2025, for further hearing.
A peep into UBA’s records of privacy related accusations showed that this was not the first time the Bank has been enmeshed in questionable financial and privacy practices report indicated that a U.S. based Nigerian, Mr. Ibhahe Hope Ehieribo, once accused the Bank of illegally withdrawing over ₦106 million from his account based on a false report of his death.
However, following widespread public outrage and condemnation, the bank quickly moved to save its battered reputation and refunded the money.
