Customer claims restriction denied access to hospital funds
A customer of Opay Digital Service Limited, Mr. Moses King, has dragged the fintech firm before the Federal High Court, Lagos, over the alleged unlawful freezing of his bank account, a development he claims led to the death of his father.
King, in the suit, is seeking N50 million in exemplary damages, alleging that Opay’s action denied him access to funds needed to pay his father’s hospital bills.
The claimant instituted the action under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009, pursuant to Section 46(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The suit, marked FHC/L/CS/178/2026, was filed through his counsel, Barrister Olalekan Ogunbunmi.
In the originating processes, King accused Opay Digital Service Limited of unlawfully freezing his personal savings account, Account No. 8087652738, between September 17 and December 9, 2025, without a court order or lawful justification.
Among the reliefs sought is a declaration that the freezing of his account without a court order violated his fundamental rights to property and fair hearing as guaranteed under Sections 34, 36, 43, and 44 of the Constitution.
The claimant further asked the court to declare that the restriction placed on his account, which allegedly prevented him from accessing N500,000 deposited for his father’s medical treatment, was illegal and unconstitutional, and that it directly contributed to his father’s death.
He is also seeking an order compelling Opay to issue a public apology, to be published in two national newspapers, alongside the payment of N50 million in damages for what he described as inhumane and unlawful treatment.
In a 23-paragraph affidavit in support of the suit, King averred that he is a trader who had operated his Opay account for a long time without any controversy. He stated that he became aware of the restriction on September 17, 2025, when he was unable to carry out transactions.
According to him, Opay’s customer service confirmed that a Post No Debit (PND) had been placed on his account but failed to provide any court order authorising the action. He claimed repeated attempts to have the restriction lifted were unsuccessful.
King further alleged that Opay later informed him that the restriction was based on a “bank report” and not on any directive from law enforcement or a court of law.
He maintained that the restriction, which lasted until December 9, 2025, prevented him from paying hospital bills for his father, who had been hospitalised from September 10, 2025, and eventually died on December 15, 2025.
The applicant also stated that he is a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record and that the restriction plunged him into severe hardship.
As of the time of filing this report, Opay Digital Service Limited has not filed any response to the suit despite being duly served.
Meanwhile, Justice Daniel Osiagor has fixed March 2 for the hearing of the matter.
