FG probes Wema Bank, others over illegal accounts opening

Nigeria’s federal government through the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) has announced the commencement of investigation into Wema Bank’s activities following alleged data breach and illegal opening of accounts.

Mr. Babatunde Bamigboye, head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations Lead at the NDPB announced the development in a statement.

The statement said, “Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (the Bureau) has commenced investigations into reports of breach of data privacy involving two major data controllers in Nigeria, namely, Wema Bank PLC and KC Gaming Networks (Bet9ja). This is in line with Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the provisions of Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019 – particularly Articles 2.1(2)-(3), 2.6 and Article 4 of the NDPR.

It will be recalled that sometime in May 2022, some customers of Wema Bank PLC complained of breach of their rights to data privacy and protection by the bank.

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This data processing, according to the complaints against the bank, involves using their personal data to open accounts. The bureau is also investigating a report of breach of data privacy at KC Gaming Networks. The breach in this case involved alleged external attack on the KC Gaming Networks.

“At this stage, the objectives of these investigations as directed by the national commissioner/CEO of the bureau, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, are to determine the impact of the breaches on the affected data subjects and the remedial actions taken by the concerned data controllers. The bureau assures members of the general public that it would ensure proper accountability of the data controllers in the ongoing investigations.”

In a tweet posted on its official handle on Friday, the commission said the situation was becoming widespread and should not be ‘secretly tackled’.

“Can Wema Bank comment publicly on the message that consumers without Wema Bank accounts are receiving across the country, allegedly from the bank? This situation is widespread and cannot be a DM issue anymore. Wema Bank has to come clean,” the tweet from the commission read.