In need of financial backup in 2023, Abu Opeyemi (not real name), a Kogi based engineer, approached a Wema Bank Branch in Lokoja for a loan. Opeyemi had learned that the bank — through a service called Purple Connect — was offering loans with minimal interest rate to salary earners like him.
He had chosen Purple Connect because he considered the barriers, at the time, to be negligible. For one, he didn’t need to have an account with Wema to access the loan. Most importantly, the refund plan appeared flexible; he only had to repay a specific sum at the end of every month.
“I only need to do a bit of documentation and also get a Remita Mandate. I had to activate that thing called a Remita Mandate that gives the bank access to my salary account at the end of the month. That way, they can make automated deductions from it after my salary has been paid. All of this was in 2023,” Opeyemi told FIJ.
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Wema Bank did not eventually grant Opeyemi’s loan application. But when Opeyemi’s salary arrived in October 2023, N58,599.78 was deducted from it. In December 2023, the same sum was deducted from his account again.
“Whenever I have an amount equal to the sum of the monthly deduction, Remita will automatically deduct the money. They have deducted the money twice. This money is to the tune of N100,000 now”
Debit alert gotten by Opeyemi in October
Debit alert gotten by Opeyemi in December
The deductions however did not disappoint Opeyemi as much as Wema’s bank handling of his complaints afterwards. Opeyemi told FIJ that he had been trying to get Wema to fix the problem for over eight months without success.
“So I have been following the Wema bank up since last year. I have sent mail, called them and even been to the branch and they’ve not given me anything tangible. They keep asking me to be patient anytime I call. They don’t tell me anything. And the concerned department has not even reached out to me once in eight months.”
His initial disposition was that of understanding of the process, rigour and time required to attend to a complaints like his. But this understanding grew into frustration after months of unsuccesfully trying to get the bank’s attention.
At some point, Opeyemi even involved the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Consumer Protection Department. But that did not yield any result too.
“I am aware that customer care isn’t the one to handle the situation. So they never reached out. They kept telling me to wait and be patient, but it is almost a year. The deducted sum is running to over N100,000,” he said.
“The sum may seem insignificant but it is quite substantial to me. I even sent an email to the CBN Consumer protection department and they have not responded either. I figured that the media is the best option I have in this case.”
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FIJ has been in active communication with Wema Bank regarding Opeyemi’s case since August 9. While the bank responds promptly to FIJ’s queries, they have yet to address the most important issue — Opeyemi’s refund.
Initially, the bank requested debit evidence and a Remita code. After FIJ provided these, the bank claimed that Mohammed had opened an account with them and benefited from their loans. While both of these events did occur, they happened after the disputed deduction.
The post Kogi Engineer Was Debited for Wema Bank Loan He Didn’t Take. Eight Months After, No Refund appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.