Man Sues Opay for Account Freeze, Links It to Father’s Death

Man Sues Opay for Account Freeze, Links It to Father’s Death

LAGOS — A Nigerian customer of Opay Digital Service Limited, one of the country’s leading fintech mobile money platforms, has dragged the company to the Federal High Court, Lagos, over the alleged unlawful freezing of his account, an action he claims contributed to the death of his father.

The applicant, Moses King, filed the suit under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009, citing Section 46(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The case, marked FHC/L/CS/178/2026, was filed by his lawyer, Barrister Olalekan Ogunbunmi, against Opay Digital Service Limited.

King is asking the court to declare that the freezing of his Opay account without a court order or lawful justification was illegal, unconstitutional, and a violation of his fundamental rights.

According to court documents, the account — Account No: 8087652738 — was placed on Post No Debit (PND) from September 17, 2025, to December 9, 2025, allegedly without authorisation from any court or law enforcement agency. King claims the restriction prevented him from accessing ₦500,000, which he intended to use to pay for his father’s hospital bills. His father, hospitalised since September 10, 2025, reportedly died on December 15, 2025.

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In the reliefs sought, King asked the court to declare that Opay’s actions violated his rights under Sections 34, 36, 43, and 44 of the Nigerian Constitution, alleging that the restriction amounted to inhuman treatment and deprivation of property. He is also demanding ₦50 million in exemplary damages and a public apology from Opay to be published in two national newspapers.

To support his claims, King filed a 23-paragraph affidavit, stating that he is a trader who had used his Opay account for legitimate transactions for a long period without incident. He averred that upon discovering the restriction, Opay’s customer service informed him that his account had been frozen but failed to provide any court order backing the action. He further claimed that Opay later stated the restriction was based on an internal bank report.

The applicant insisted that he has never engaged in fraud or any illegal financial activity, and that the account freeze caused severe hardship, forcing him to depend on neighbours for food during the period.

Opay Digital Service Limited is yet to file a response despite being duly served with the court papers.

Meanwhile, Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court has fixed March 2, 2026, for the hearing of the case.

The case has drawn attention to growing concerns over account freezes, access to funds, and customer rights in Nigeria’s fintech industry, highlighting the human consequences of restricted account access amid regulatory and compliance actions by digital finance companies.

Man Sues Opay for Account Freeze, Links It to Father’s Death