Cyberbullying: Moniepoint Denies Involvement In Customer Arrest
Moniepoint Microfinance Bank has denied claims suggesting that it orchestrated the arrest or detention of a customer who allegedly criticised its services.
The management stated, “Moniepoint did not arrest, detain, or request the arrest of any individual for expressing opinions or criticism about our services, tax policy, or any public issue.”
The bank emphasised that it respects the right of Nigerians to raise concerns and participate in public discussions about financial services.
“Recent reports appear to relate to an ongoing investigation being conducted independently by the Nigeria Police Force concerning suspected cybercrime activities,” the statement added.
“We understand that the authorities acted within the scope of their investigation, which is unrelated to criticism of Moniepoint or commentary on tax matters.”
The clarification followed a viral video of a Lagos-based digital marketer, Adebayo Oluwafemi,who alleged he was arrested by men of the Nigerian Police Force on February 18.
The customer, Adebayo Oluwafemi…Photo Credit: FIJ
According to a report by FIJ, the arrest followed complaints related to a controversial 7.5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) reportedly imposed by the bank on some banking services in January.
Oluwafemi, who was reportedly accused of advising friends on the matter, was said to have been detained for nine days before being transferred to the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja.
His roommate, Ojonugwa Audu, told the publication that police initially claimed they were taking Oluwafemi to the Yaba Cybercrime Centre but later diverted him to Festac Police Station before moving him to Abuja.
“They hurriedly forced him to make a statement even without seeing his lawyer,” Audu was quoted as saying.
He added that Oluwafemi’s mobile phones, which were confiscated during the detention, are still being held by authorities for forensic analysis despite his release.
The controversy reportedly stemmed from public criticism of the bank’s newly announced VAT charges on certain services, including electronic banking transactions, POS transactions, mobile banking transfers, USSD services, POS activation, card issuance and Moniebook subscriptions.
Although Oluwafemi reportedly did not post criticisms online himself, he was said to have advised friends who had tweeted their dissatisfaction with the policy, which authorities allegedly cited as part of their investigation.
Reacting to the development, Moniepoint urged the public not to attribute the actions of the police to the bank.
“Moniepoint remains committed to serving Nigerians with integrity, transparency, and the highest professional standards,” the statement said.
The bank added that its relationship with customers is built on trust and compliance with Nigeria’s legal and regulatory framework.
Moniepoint further noted that it continues to engage customers through surveys, support channels and public feedback mechanisms, stressing that such engagement has helped the bank improve its services and product offerings.
