Heritage Bank depositors demand full refunds

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Aggrieved depositors of the defunct Heritage Bank Plc have renewed calls for the Federal Government, Central Bank of Nigeria and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation to ensure the full repayment of their outstanding funds.

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The depositors, under the Concerned Heritage Bank Depositors Forum, said they had been left in prolonged financial uncertainty more than two years after the bank’s licence was revoked.

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Heritage Bank’s banking licence was revoked by the CBN on 3 June, 2024, after the apex bank said the lender had failed to improve its financial position and had no realistic prospects of recovery.

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Following the licence revocation, the NDIC was appointed as the bank’s liquidator and tasked with recovering its assets and paying depositors in accordance with the applicable liquidation process.

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However, the depositors’ group, in a statement titled “Our Money, Our Right: Pay Heritage Bank Depositors Their Full Funds Now,” said some customers were still unable to access what they described as legitimate funds held in the failed bank.

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The group said the prolonged wait had created serious financial difficulties for affected customers, particularly those whose deposits represented years of savings and income.

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According to the depositors, the funds trapped in Heritage Bank were needed for essential obligations, including school fees, medical treatment, business financing and retirement expenses.

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They said the continued delay had therefore extended beyond a banking-sector issue, with the consequences now affecting household finances and livelihoods.

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The depositors urged the Federal Government and financial regulators to intensify efforts toward resolving outstanding claims and ensuring that eligible customers receive their funds.

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They also appealed to civil society organisations, the media and other stakeholders to support their campaign, describing the demand as one involving financial justice, public confidence and the protection of depositors.

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“Behind every trapped account is a Nigerian family facing real hardship. Let’s join hands to push the campaign. Justice delayed is hardship prolonged. Nigerians had saved responsibly, and institutions must equally act responsibly in resolving the matter,” the group said.

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The depositors maintained that the objective of their campaign was straightforward: “We saved responsibly. They must pay responsibly.”

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Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDIC, Thompson Sunday, said on 5 August in Lagos that some Heritage Bank depositors were yet to be traced because the bank inherited customer accounts from legacy institutions, including Enterprise Bank, Spring Bank and Guardian Express Bank, many of which predated the BVN system.

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“There are depositors that we have not been able to trace, and this is an opportunity for them to come forward. Once they do, we will pay them,” he said.

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He added that proceeds from loan recoveries and the sale of assets belonging to failed banks would be used to settle depositors whose balances exceeded the insured limit.

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