Ademola Anjorin, a production manager from Ogun State, described how Ecobank denied him access to his £2,300 until his wife’s admission to the UK was revoked.
Anjorin told FIJ that he approached Ecobank to save £2,300 in May 2022 instead of November, when his wife was likely to be admitted to a post-graduate programme, but it quickly proved to be a bad decision.
“In May 2022, I deposited £2,300 in an Ecobank branch at the Redemption Camp in Ogun State. The money was for my wife’s UK admission,” Anjorin told FIJ.
“I saved the money that early to beat the regular Form A issues and also get the cash I would use for the initial payment once she was admitted.”
He said six months after he deposited the money, his wife was admitted for her postgraduate programme at the Angelina Ruskin University but Ecobank told him he could not access his money.
“In November, when the admission came, the school asked that we make an initial deposit of £2000,” he said.
“I approached Ecobank to withdraw the money, but they said the account I opened with them was a cash-only account and I could not perform telex on it.
“I then requested for the cash in order to find other means of meeting up with the school’s deadline, but they told me they had no cash and that I should ‘come back.”
According to Anjorin, Ecobank kept asking him to “come back” until the deadline elapsed and his wife lost the admission.
“I couldn’t pay the initial £2000 needed to secure the admission because Ecobank kept failing to fulfil their promises. It was painful, but we had to give up the admission,” he said.
“In December, I got angry and went to the bank. I demanded to have my money and the bank called one of its branches in Ijebu-Ode, where I was able to get £1000 out of the money.”
He told reporters that Ecobank had held on to his remaining £1300 since they paid the £1000.
“Ever since they paid the £1000, they’ve refused to release the remaining £1300. They keep asking me to come back only to disappoint me each time I visit them.
“The bank manager, at some point, told me I could transfer the money to another bank account. I then opened a Zenith Bank domiciliary account, but then Ecobank said I couldn’t transfer all the money and that I could only take cash.
“But they wouldn’t even provide the cash. I just want my money from Ecobank.”
FIJ sent an email to the bank for comments, but they were yet to respond at press time.
See reactions:
Emmanuel Calisha:
Sorry about that but initially you should have asked if they have that amount in their vault before proceeding with the transaction. Since these money is not our major currency here in Nigeria and EUR is also not as accessible as dollar too. Very sorry for the whole situation
Oguntuase Adedayo Shola:
The branch csm is a fool and incompetent, I worked in a bank, in a situation like the csm will request for such cash from bw or other sources and they will bring the actual money. Chikenna Ecobank has been d most useless bank ds days, I have #12k pos dispute since October last yrs, till ds moment nothing has been done, I aways felt bad in me abt d situation.
Danny Bowabre:
This eco bank is a misery bank they dont give nothing to customers
Read more: https://allschool.com.ng/lady-loses-uk-admission-over-nigerian-banks-failure-to-release-her-2300/
