The High Court of Lagos State has delivered a landmark judgment against Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) for issuing conflicting bank statements to a customer and failing to correct the discrepancies — a violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.
In Suit No: LD/18590MFHR/2024 — Rebecca Bonje v. Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, filed by Olumide Babalola LP, the applicant, Rebecca Bonje, accused the bank of issuing two contradictory statements of account, unjustifiably removing transaction entries, and refusing to rectify the errors despite formal 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 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 breach of Bonje’s rights under the NDPA and consequently awarded ₦5,000,000 (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 violation of both the NDPA and the constitutional right to privacy.