By Tony Eluemunor
For the second consecutive day, protesters picketed the Sterling Bank, Muhammadu Buhari Way, Central Business District, Abuja, Thursday October 9, 2025.
The protesters led by the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations Against Banks’ Fraudulent Practices and Customers Victimization, first stormed the bank on Wednesday, October 8th.
As no Sterling Bank official came to receive the petition they had brought against the bank, the protesters remained there for three hours before leaving. But they promised to resume their protest on Thursday.
They kept their promise as they arrived the Sterling Bank office by 10 am, in 14 Coaster buses that brought protesters from all around the Federal Capital Territory.
Wednesday, the Coalition first visited the Central Bank of Nigeria and handed their petition letter against Sterling Bank to CBN officials.
Thursday, the story was different; the protesters focused solely on the Abuja Sterling bank btanch. Later, they roared joyously as a Sterling Bank official appeared a few minutes after 12 mid-day to receive the petition on behalf of Sterling Bank. She refused to give her full names and designation, though. She volunteered just a first name.
The Coalition didn’t plan on picketing the Sterling Bank on Thursday but had informed protesters on Wednesday that they were likely to picket the First Bank and GTB instead. But their plan changed when no Sterling Bank official came to collect their petition.
Actually, the Coalition was protesting against the banking industry in general because of, as they put it, the suffocating banking charges and other failings. But the MIDEN SYSTEMS LTD and the Sterling Bank Plc disagreement over a loan the bank granted MIDEN SYSTEMS provided the lightening rod for this protest which shook Abuja for two consecutive days, drawing crowds of passers by to it, as people narrated their own bitter experiences.
One passer by said he had just lost N3m from his account and no explanation was given to him. Even when a military van full of armed soldiers arrived, a soldier there gave the protesters the thumbs up saying “this bank pays our salary late”, though he may not know if his organization was to blame…and not the bank.
According to the organizers, what trained their attention on Sterling Bank was the MIDEN SYSTEM’S claim that Sterling Bank failed to provide its bank transaction records to it.
That pushed them to rally together as a group to support the David in this fight (MIDENS SYSTEM) against the Goliath (STERLING BANK Plc).
The two-day protest was remarkably peaceful. The Police escorted the protesters and ensured there was no disturbance. And Sterling bank didn’t attempt to chase them away.
Once the protest letter signed by Comrade Dr. Sam Wilson, National Coordinator, Comrade Flora Elekwa, Director and Lady Cecillia Bisong, National Organizing Secretary, was received by Sterling bank, the protesters felt their duty had been done and began to disperse.
Their was no rowdy scene at the bank; all was civil. Flora Elekwa kept stressing that they learnt of the MIDEN SYSTEM and Sterling Bank face off through the news media and found enough justification to get involved because a large number of Nigerians have been so shortchanged and they don’t know how to seek redress.
She said that was why the protest started at the CBN, which oversees the banking sector. She said that a huge amount of money, over $200 million, was involved in the MIDEN SYSTEMS and Sterling Bank deal, and it had been on long enough to cripple a business.
MIDEN SYSTEMS has not been able to access its funds at Sterling bank for years and it’s requests for statement of accounts were not met, she added.
For now, it appears that Sterling Bank’s officials who refused the letter on Wednesday saved some other banks from being picketed on Thursday.
The protest may likely resume in future but no date was announced to the protesters as they were exiting the Sterling Bank, CBD, Abuja, branch.
So, the other banks that would have been picketed today have received a breathing space.
*Eluemunor, veteran journalist, lives in Abuja.
