It was also observed in all the banks, customers could not withdraw more than N40,000 daily from their account from ATM or from banking hall either.
With barely eight days to the end of transacting with old N1000, N500 and N200 banknotes as a legal tender, commercial banks have continued to load the old notes in their Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in parts of the country.
Also, the operators of Point of Sale (POS) particularly in the South-East and North-East states monitored have continued to issue old banknotes to their customers, investigations by SaharaReporters have shown.
Checks by SaharaReporters on Monday, showed that the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and First Bank in Enugu State for instance loaded several ATM machines with the old notes that would cease to be a legal tender by January 31.
It was also observed in all the banks, customers could not withdraw more than N40,000 daily from their account from ATM or from banking hall either.
The situation is not different in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, monitored on Monday.
Commercial banks continued to issue old banknotes to its customers and loaded the old currency notes in their ATMs.
A bank customer, who gave her name as Loveth Okoh, described the irregularities in the banking sector as absurd.
She said, "I went to UBA to make withdraw from their ATM and the machine dispenses only old banknotes; about four of the machines in that location. I left there and went to First Bank, the have about four ATM Machines but only one is paying with new banknotes while remaining three were paying with old notes.
"People who want the new notes had to queue. I queued but to my greatest surprise when it got to my turn I was only able to withdraw N40,000 and the machine displayed that I had reached my daily limit. When I inquired, a bank staff told me that that was the new directive. When I told him that CBN Policy stipulated N100,000 as the daily, the bank staff told me to go to CBN and make the withdraw. This is stupid and absurd."
Another customer, Stephen Omeje narrated the same harrowing experience, adding that he needed to pay labourers on his building site but he couldn't withdraw more than N40,000 through his ATM card. Because I didn't have multiple bank accounts I had to transfer money to four people so that they could withdraw N40,000 each from their ATMs. That's how I was able to pay workers."
A staff of one of the banks told SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity confessed that banks did not enough new bank currency to dispense to customers.
"All of us are concerned with the Policy somersault. We don't have enough new currency notes to load in ATM machines, so we have to load what is available so that customers who have urgent needs can withdraw from. For the new limit of N40,000 maximum withdrawal per day started on Friday."
Another bank staff told SaharaReporters that they (staff) received a new directive on Thursday to reprogram the ATM to dispense only N40,000 daily maximum in all their machines. Even at the banking hall, no one could withdraw more than N40,000 a day.
"If you want to withdraw beyond N40,000 you will be charged N30 per every N5,000 you withdraw after your daily maximum withdrawal."
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that commercial Banks were hoarding new naira notes for politicians for their campaigns while bank customer were told that there was shortage or no availability of the notes.
SaharaReporters authoritatively reports that politicians in Enugu State for instance had been issued bundles of new naira notes which they shared to their supporters at the campaign rallies while at the banking hall, customers are giving old notes and told there was no new naira notes.
The Nigeria's apex Bank, (CBN) had earlier warned commercial banks to stop putting old naira notes in its Automated Teller Machines or face a penalty.
The CBN stipulated January 31, 2023, as the deadline for issuance and circulation of the old N200, N500 and N1,000 denominations of the country's currency following the introduction of new banknotes.