The Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the Board of Governors, National Judicial Institute Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun has blamed telecommunications companies for the glitches experienced in the country’s banking sector.
Kekere-Ekun said this in her keynote address at the 2024 National Workshop for Justice and Judges on Legal Issues in Telecommunications with the theme, ‘The Role of the Judiciary in Accelerating Digital Transformation in Nigeria.’
The blame on telcos comes in the wake of multiple glitches in online services. On August 14, 2024, customers reported that the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) website was down, leading to speculation that it had been cloned and customer data intercepted.
The bank also confirmed the attempt to compromise its website domain.
In November, Zenith Bank’s services were disrupted for weeks over system upgrades while GTBank customers also faced a similar fate.
The CJN said, “I will like to quickly bring our attention to two issues which I consider to be pivotal and which revolve around cyber security and the attendant challenges of exploring the digital space.
“The first is the increased risk of the personal data of consumers being misused or compromised by unscrupulous persons, thus necessitating the need for improved strategies and innovation for consumer protection in the telecommunications sector.
“Also, worth noting are deficiencies in the Banking Sector and which are attributable to reliance on digital services provided by the Telecommunications Sector. There is for instance the major challenge posed by electronically backed transactions which is commonplace in the Banking Sector.”
The CJN said these glitches have led to several issues including hacking of online banking platforms as well as banks being compromised.
“Concerns in this regard include the spate of customers whose online banking platforms have been hacked, as well as banks being compromised due to technological
glitches not factored into their day-to-day operations. Consequently, these and several other challenges have resulted in a number of disputes which frequently require adjudication,” she said.
Kekere-Ekun said the deployment of technology in telecommunications plays a pivotal role in the advancement economic system of any country.
She, however, said there is a need to proffer solutions to legal issues arising from digital services provided by the telecommunications sector.
“It is also my expectation that the forum will equip Judicial Officers with the technical skills required for adjudicating disputes arising from the sector and keep them abreast with global standards and best practices,” she added.