The affected customers were, among other things, barred from withdrawing cash and transferring funds through Automated Teller Machines, Internet banking platforms and over-the-counter in the banking halls.
The development created chaos in the banking halls across the country on Monday as angry customers besieged several branches to get their suspended accounts reactivated. Findings showed that a significant number of the five million customers whose accounts were suspended had obtained their BVNs but failed to link it with their account numbers. Branches of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc visited in Surulere, Yaba, Isolo and Oshodi in Lagos all had long queues of customers filling forms to verify their BVNs.
Majority of the customers expressed anger as they filled the verification forms given to them by bank officials. However, some of the customers, who had obtained the BVNs but failed to link them up with the account numbers, had their accounts reactivated immediately. It was observed that majority of the customers that failed to lodge their complaints were those who had obtained the BVNs but failed to visit their banks to link the number up with their accounts.
Due to the high number of people in the banking halls, majority of the customers who filled the BVN verification form were asked to drop it in anticipation that the banks would reactivate the accounts later.
