Deborah Akinyosoye
The High Court of Lagos State has awarded ₦5million in general damages against Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) for issuing conflicting account statements to a customer and violating provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.
In the case Rebecca Bonje v. Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (Suit No: LD/18590MFHR/2024), filed by the law firm of Olumide Babalola LP, the applicant accused GTBank of issuing two contradictory statements of account.
The bank reportedly removed the transaction entries without explanation, and refused to correct the errors despite repeated requests.
Bonje sought several declarations, including that: “The issuance of conflicting statements was unfair, non-transparent, and in breach of Section 24(1)(e) of the NDPA 2023.
“The refusal to correct discrepancies violated her right to rectification of personal data under Section 34(1)(c).
“The removal of transaction entries constituted a personal data breach contrary to Section 65 of the Act.”
She also demanded general damages for the bank’s alleged violation of her data rights.
Delivering judgment on September 18, 2025, Justice O.A. Oresanya held that GTBank failed in its statutory obligations regarding the handling of the customer’s personal financial data.
The court ruled that the bank’s conduct amounted to a violation of Bonje’s rights under the NDPA and consequently awarded N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) as general damages in her favour.
In addition, the court granted all four declaratory reliefs sought by the applicant, affirming that the issuance of conflicting statements and failure to rectify them constituted a breach of both the NDPA and the constitutional right to privacy.