Breaking: Access Bank Denies N500 Million Fraud Allegation

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

Access Bank Plc has firmly denied allegations made by social media influencer Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over the alleged disappearance of ₦500 million from the account of a deceased customer.

VDM had urged Nigerians to withdraw their funds from the bank, claiming the alleged incident raised concerns about the safety and security of customer deposits.

In a viral video posted on Saturday, VDM alleged that a complainant approached him to report that her late brother’s ₦500 million, supposedly lodged in an account with Access Bank, had gone missing. He also displayed a purported statement of account, claiming that key transactions were omitted from certain periods.

Captioning his video with an impassioned plea for Nigerians to take the matter seriously, VDM stated:

“If we all don’t take this case seriously, our generations will pay the price. Unless you don’t have a bank account, you must join this fight for accountability.”

VDM further accused Access Bank of unethical practices and demanded a thorough investigation, calling on Nigerians to boycott the bank in protest.

In a statement released on Sunday, Access Bank dismissed the allegations as baseless and assured the public of the safety and security of customers’ funds.

The bank stated, “Our attention has been drawn to a video on social media wherein allegations of missing funds and unethical behaviour have been made against Access Bank Plc. First and foremost, we wish to emphasise that the safety and security of our customers’ funds are core priorities which we take seriously. Access Bank Plc does not engage in or condone any unethical behaviour.”

The bank added that it had conducted a thorough investigation into the claims and found no evidence of any missing funds.

The statement continued, “There is no ₦500 million or any other amount missing from the subject customer’s account or from any other customer’s account with us. We and other independent stakeholders in the banking industry have thoroughly investigated these allegations and independently arrived at the same conclusions.”

Access Bank reiterated its commitment to maintaining the highest ethical standards while safeguarding customer interests and respecting privacy laws. The statement concluded with an advisory to the public, “We must advise the public not to rely on or believe sensational and unverified claims that are designed to titillate and mislead.”

The incident has sparked widespread debate on social media, with some users supporting VDM’s call for accountability and others urging caution until more facts are revealed. Access Bank has assured customers that it remains committed to transparency and customer service.