The protesters gathered on Monday at the bank’s branch along Ahmadu Bello Way, displaying placards with messages such as “Jaiz Bank stole our money” and “FG should help us.”
Led by Hashim Umar Lawal, the customers alleged that they had placed their funds in fixed investment accounts under an arrangement that allowed the bank to use the money for business activities and pay agreed returns after a specified period.
Lawal explained that he turned to Jaiz Bank after seeking an investment option that complied with Islamic financial principles. He said he invested money on behalf of several family members, including his mother and wife, after bank staff assured him that the arrangement was halal.
According to him, the bank explained that deposits would be used for business purposes, with customers receiving their profits once the agreed investment period expired.
Lawal said the arrangement had been running smoothly until early last year, when he and other customers began experiencing difficulties withdrawing their funds. He recalled that when they approached the bank around January and February to access their savings, they were unable to get their money.
He put the total amount allegedly affected at N104 million and appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Bar Association to investigate the matter.
Lawal insisted that the customers were law abiding citizens who simply wanted their money returned. He also urged the Federal Government and security agencies to step in, expressing confidence that their intervention would help resolve the dispute.
Another affected customer, Rose Dayu, said she became aware of the problem when she visited the bank to withdraw money from her fixed savings account, only to be informed that there were no funds available.
Meanwhile, the bank’s Jos branch manager, Victoria Adimu, declined to comment immediately on the allegations. She said she needed some time before making a statement.
As of the time of the protest, the bank had not provided a detailed response to the customers’ claims.
