A major legal battle has erupted as FCMB faces N5 billion lawsuit over unauthorised account leak, bringing corporate data privacy compliance into sharp public focus.
The lawsuit filed at the FCT High Court in Abuja involves First Tirad Global Resources Limited and majority shareholder Funmilola Soyebo.
Court filings show that bank officers released private corporate financial statements to Mrs. Soyebo’s estranged husband without proper authorization.
In an official response letter, FCMB admitted the procedural breach, issuing an apology while taking internal disciplinary measures.
Furthermore, the bank acknowledged that its staff violated data protection obligations and ethical operational standards.
Leaked Financial Data Leads to Tracing and Physical Assault
Mrs. Soyebo stated in her sworn affidavit that she intentionally concealed her new residential address following previous life threats.
However, rent transaction details recorded in the leaked bank statements enabled her estranged husband to track her location.
Consequently, he located her new estate residence and physically assaulted her, causing severe emotional trauma and safety fears.
In addition, the claimants disclosed that the estranged husband presented the leaked statements in separate ongoing court proceedings.
As a result, the claimants maintain that corporate negligence directly endangered human life and compromised business operations.
Claimants Demand Heavy Compensation as Bank Awaits Court Papers
The claimants demand N5 billion in general, aggravated, and exemplary damages for privacy violations, negligence, and commercial distress.
Furthermore, the legal team requests court orders directing FCMB to enforce strict data protection controls across all branches.
Meanwhile, FCMB Corporate Affairs Manager Rafiu Mohammed confirmed that the bank apologized after conducting an internal review.
However, he noted that management awaits formal court service before filing its official defense in court.
Finally, the FCT High Court will fix a trial date once both legal teams submit all formal processes.
