A coalition of civil society organisations has called on the federal government to address the issues of unexplained  withdrawals, hidden charges, and other malpractices in the banking sector.

The coalition under the auspices of CSOs Against Bank Fraudulent Practices and Customer Victimisation made the call while staging a peaceful protest in Abuja on Thursday.

The coalition stated that the call was imperative because addressing the issues would enhance customers’ confidence in the system.

Addressing newsmen on the sidelines of the protest, the director of mobilisation of the coalition, Flora Elekwa, said that many Nigerians had several complaints against banks across the country.

She urged the government, through relevant agencies, to intervene, citing a particular case involving Miden Systems Ltd, where thousands of dollars and millions of naira were allegedly withdrawn to restore peace and enhance investors’ confidence in the system.

Ms Elekwa said that a petition had been submitted to the Central Bank of Nigeria and other anti-graft agencies to defend the rights of the Nigerian people.

“As a coalition of civil society organisations, we cannot stand by and watch banks or similar financial institutions victimise customers.

“This is the reason for this peaceful protest, to draw attention to some of the practices in the commercial banks,” she said.

(NAN)