"Save this": Lawyer Shares 5 Ways Nigerians Can Fight Loan Apps back, Points out What the Law Says
- A legal practitioner named Chinenye Ruth has argued that a loan app messaging your mother because you owe N15k is not a reminder but a crime
- She urged Nigerians to report loan apps that take such routes to get back their loans, and she highlighted the things that the Nigerian law bars loan apps from doing
- The barrister also pointed out five ways that Nigerians could fight loan apps back, noting that evidence wins, while silence protects them
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Barrister Chinenye Ruth, a Nigerian lawyer, has encouraged Nigerians to fight back against loan apps disturbing them.
According to her, a loan app messaging your mother because of N15k is not a loan reminder, but a crime.
Source: Facebook
Lawyer shares what loan apps cannot do
Barrister Chinenye highlighted five things that the Nigerian law prohibits loan apps from doing to borrowers.
She pointed out that when the loan apps do those things, their actions violate the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, CBN Digital Lending Guidelines 2022, FCCPA 2018, and the Cybercrime Act 2015.
In a Facebook post on June 29, she wrote:
"They messaged your mom over ₦15,000. That's not a loan reminder. That's a crime! And you can report them today.
"Here's what Nigerian law says loan apps CANNOT do:
"Contact your friends or family without consent.
"Publicly call you a thief or fraudster.
"Use your photos to shame you online.
"Threaten you with arrest.
"Harass you repeatedly.
"These actions violate the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, CBN Digital Lending Guidelines 2022, FCCPA 2018, and the Cybercrime Act 2015..."
She further highlighted five ways Nigerians could fight back against loan apps.
"You borrowed money. You are NOT a criminal.
"Here's how to fight back:
"Screenshot EVERYTHING.
"Report to FCCPC → fccpc.gov.ng.
"Report to CBN → cbn.gov.ng/complaints.
"Report to NDPC → ndpc.gov.ng.
"Consult a lawyer if damages are serious.
"Evidence wins. Silence protects them..."
Is the current framework strong enough? What more is needed?
Responding to this question, Barrister Chisom Darlington Madubuike, an associate at G Elias, told Legit.ng:
"The current legal structure is fairly comprehensive on paper, but enforcement and coordination are the challenge. There's also unresolved tension over whether the FCCPC or the CBN has primary authority to regulate digital lending, which is part of why the FCCPC's newer 2025 lending regulations are currently suspended by a court injunction.
"What's needed is clearer statutory allocation of regulatory authority, faster and more publicised enforcement action, and more awareness measures to enlighten Nigeria as to their rights even as borrowers."
Source: Facebook
See the lawyer's Facebook post below:
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that a lawyer had listed five things that many people do not know about most loan apps.
'Spiritual' effects of using loan apps
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a man had shared the 'spiritual' effects of using loan apps.
He argued that such borrowing came with severe implications he regarded as serious. He indicated that there was a reason for that position, suggesting that many borrowers did not fully grasp the meaning of being in debt. The man also claimed that owing money produced effects that were not only financial, and he described those effects as spiritual.
The young man directed his words to young men and warned them against taking on debt in any form. He maintained that it was wiser to avoid owing anyone at all, adding that no one should believe that a debt to an application or to another person could be left unpaid without consequence. He stated that failing to repay such a debt caused spiritual harm to the person involved.
Source: Legit.ng
