Court orders GTCO to stop sending marketing messages to non-customer
By Aboki Forex —
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) to stop sending direct marketing messages to a person who is not a customer. The court said this violates the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu made the ruling on June 11, 2026. The judge also ordered GTCO to reveal where it got the personal data of the applicant, Mr. Abdulmalik Muhaimin Onimisi. This includes any third parties or data brokers involved.
Mr. Onimisi sued GTCO over an alleged data privacy breach. His lawyer, Barrister Oladipupo Ige, said his client does not have an account with any GTCO subsidiary. On April 9, 2025, Onimisi received an unsolicited text message advertising “Fund 724” by Guaranty Trust Fund Managers, a GTCO subsidiary.
The lawyer argued that his client never gave his personal information to the bank. He was alarmed that the bank had and was using his data. On April 10, 2025, Onimisi sent an email asking the bank to disclose the source of his data, stop all marketing messages, and delete his personal information from its databases.
The lawyer told the court that the bank’s refusal to explain where it got the data raised concerns about unlawful acquisition and sharing of personal information. He said the continued processing of the data caused his client psychological distress, loss of business opportunities, and financial costs.
GTCO’s lawyer, G.O. Ejem, argued that the bank was wrongly served. He said the defendant in the case is Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, a separate entity from Guaranty Trust Bank Ltd, which was served with the court papers.