N555m fine: Fidelity Bank denies data breach claims

Fidelity Bank has denied allegations of a data breach made by the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), disputing claims that led to a N555.8 million fine imposed by the commission.

In a statement on Wednesday, the bank’s spokesperson, Meksley Nwagboh, claimed that the bank did not violate any data protection laws.

Topnaija.ng reports that the NDPC accused Fidelity Bank of breaching the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) of 2019 and the Nigeria Data Protection (NDP) Act of 2023.

The commission also cited the bank’s alleged lack of cooperation during an investigation as a factor in the penalty decision.

Fidelity Bank denies data breach claims

Fidelity Bank responded by stating that it has always adhered to the highest ethical standards and maintained full compliance with data protection laws.

Nwagboh stressed that the bank is actively engaged in discussions with the NDPC to reach an amicable resolution.

Providing a detailed account of its dealings with the NDPC, Fidelity Bank explained that the issue began on April 30, 2023, when it received a notice of investigation from the commission.

The investigation was triggered by a complaint alleging that a customer’s details were used to open an account without consent.

The bank conducted an internal investigation and found that the account opening request was received online, but due to incomplete documentation, the account was never operational.

The bank stated that it had followed its data protection policy by placing the account on “Post No Debit” status and ultimately closing it when the required documents were not provided.

Fidelity Bank maintained that it informed the NDPC of these findings on May 2, 2023, asserting that no data breach had occurred.

Despite this, the NDPC proceeded to impose a penalty, initially demanding a “remedial fee” of N250 million in December 2023, which was later increased to N555.8 million on August 20, 2024.