The High Court of Lagos State has ordered Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) to pay ₦5 million in general damages to a customer, Ms. Rebecca Bonje, for issuing contradictory account statements and breaching 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 Olumide Babalola LP, the applicant accused the bank of providing two conflicting statements of account, removing certain transaction entries without explanation, and refusing to correct the discrepancies despite multiple requests.
Bonje argued that the bank’s actions were “unfair, non-transparent, and in violation of Section 24(1)(e) of the NDPA 2023,” and that its refusal to rectify the errors infringed upon her right to correction of personal data under Section 34(1)(c). She further contended that the removal of entries amounted to a data breach contrary to Section 65 of the Act.
Delivering judgment on September 18, 2025, Justice O.A. Oresanya ruled that GTBank failed to uphold its statutory duties in handling the customer’s personal and financial information, describing the bank’s conduct as a clear breach of the NDPA and the constitutional right to privacy.
Consequently, the court awarded ₦5 million in general damages to Bonje and granted all four declaratory reliefs sought, affirming that GTBank’s issuance of conflicting statements and refusal to amend them constituted violations of data protection and privacy rights.
