CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – Ofegobi Ofem Balinwo, a long-time customer of Access Bank in Calabar, Cross River State, is in distress after the unexplained disappearance of his $14,485.92 gratuity from his domiciliary account, despite a court ruling in his favour five years ago.
The saga dates back to 2016 when a duplicated transaction led to a double credit of $92,762.51 into Ofegobi’s domiciliary account (No. 0693951087) with Access Bank. Upon discovery, the bank acknowledged the error and prompted Ofegobi to refund the duplicated amount.
According to available records, Ofegobi complied and completed the full refund on 12th August 2016, thereby clearing any supposed liability.
However, on 2nd September 2016, barely three weeks after the refund, Access Bank debited his account with $14,380, draining it completely. Shocked and unable to understand the reason for the deduction, Ofegobi reached out to the bank for clarification. His efforts proved futile, leading him to file Suit No: HC/99/2017 at the High Court of Cross River State, Calabar.
Three years later, Justice Akon Ikpeme delivered judgment in favour of Ofegobi on 10th June 2020. The court condemned the deduction, stating: “As at 2nd September, 2016, when the statement of account shows a withdrawal of the entire balance left when the Claimant had fully refunded the amount wrongfully paid to him, this court finds no justification for that in the absence of a court order… the withdrawal was not justified by law and therefore it was wrong and constitutes a breach of the Defendant’s duty to the Claimant.”
The court further observed that a witness for the bank (DW1) admitted under cross-examination that the refund was made at open market value, reinforcing that Ofegobi had discharged his obligation.
Despite this ruling, Access Bank proceeded to appeal the decision in Appeal No: CA/C/353/2020. On 29th April 2025, the Court of Appeal overturned the lower court’s verdict, ruling that Ofegobi “did not present his cheque for payment when he was free from encumbrance”. The appellate court also described the $14,485.92 deduction as a “reversal” — a term it did not clearly define in the context of an unencumbered account.
Since the appeal judgment, Ofegobi says his efforts to access the funds have been futile. “My account still shows $0.00. The money is my gratuity from working with the World Bank as an Administrative and Finance Associate for 16 years,” he told CaliTown.
The question that now remains unanswered is: where is the $14,485.92? The amount, clearly recorded in the account before the 2nd September 2016 debit, is yet to be restored or accounted for by the bank.
Reactions from other Access Bank customers paint a broader picture of frustration. Benedict Okoi recounted a similar experience, saying: “₦50,000 suddenly vanished from my Access Bank account about three years ago. I battled with them for five days before the money was returned. A week later, I transferred everything except ₦45,000… today the same ₦45,000 has reduced to ₦6,000 despite no withdrawals. Na only God go fit judge Access Bank case.”
Another customer, Paul Alobi Nyambi, a lawyer, stated bluntly, “Banks have gone rogue in Nigeria.” Inyang John added, “Access and GTB are very funny banks. Their internal control is damn porous.”
When contacted, a senior staff member of Access Bank’s Calabar branch, who pleaded anonymity, declined to comment, saying, “Only our headquarters can do that, please bear with me.”
As public trust in Nigeria’s banking system continues to wane, this case reignites concerns about transparency, customer protection, and regulatory oversight. For Ofegobi Ofem Balinwo, the pursuit of justice for his vanished gratuity remains unresolved, with a simple question hanging in the balance: where is his money?
