Stephen Ifeanyichukwu Ejezie, a former quality assurance specialist at Access Bank’s contact centre in Oniru, Lagos State, secretly recorded hundreds of video clips of his colleagues in the restrooms.
A report by Foundation For Investigative Journalism (FIJ) reported that Ejezie was caught in the female restroom around 1:30am last Wednesday.
Multiple sources noted that staff members at the contact centre, which operates on a shift basis, often sleep, shower, and change at the office.
It was during one of these shifts that Ejezie allegedly sneaked into the women’s restroom, intending to place a hidden recording device.
A female staff member had raised alarm when she allegedly noticed a phone pointed towards her from an adjacent toilet cubicle while she was bathing, leading to Ejieze’s arrest.
Reports revealed that the workers at the contact centre, the customer service hub of Access Bank, work in shifts. So, some have to sleep at the office, clean up and take their bath there, among other things.
“Ejezie snuck into the ladies restroom. I believe he wanted to hide his camera as usual, so he noticed ladies coming and hid in one of the toilets beside the bathroom,” a source explained.
“Mind you, the men’s restroom is not too close for him to have mistakenly entered the one for women.
“He was found when a lady taking her bath noticed a phone recording her from the toilet cubicle, which is directly by the side of the bathroom. She noticed someone closed the water closet seat, and was making a video. She just saw the camera by chance.”
After the lady raised the alarm and more people asked whoever was there to open the door, he eventually did.
“That was when people saw it was Stephen. He said he didn’t know how he got to the ladies’ toilet but couldn’t explain the part of him making videos.”
Sources revealed that he was arrested later that day when more video clips of male and female colleagues taking baths or naked in the restroom were found on his devices.
Access Bank reportedly ordered Ejieze’s arrest and a subsequent raid on his residence led to the discovery of over 400 of compromising video clips. However, reports indicated that he has since been released.
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His release has raised concerns among affected staff members who feared they may not get justice.
Further investigation by FIJ showed that Ejezie had stored numerous videos of male and female colleagues in various states of nakedness.
Sources also alleged that Ejezie had been selling the videos through platforms such as OnlyFans and Telegram, with buyers including foreign nationals.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Ejezie’s release and the bank’s subdued response have fueled speculation that the matter might be downplayed to protect the institution’s image.
Workers expressed unrest during a Friday morning meeting convened by the management, they were also nformed that staying overnight at the office was prohibited henceforth.
“We were banned from staying over at work. Some people whose shifts end at 7:30 pm used to stay behind occasionally, but now it’s officially prohibited. They also warned that if an incident like this happens again, the person involved could spend years in jail,” a witness told FIJ.
Workers say this response has only deepened suspicions that management is attempting to sweep the scandal under the rug.
“No one really has the nerve to challenge anything,” one said.
“We are just contact staff and not really rated. Any little thing, and you get tossed in the trash.
“Some people in the videos don’t even know they are there. A lot of people are depressed just with the fear that they may be there. I feel like people have absolutely the right to know so it doesn’t haunt them in future or when they have political careers. Because at that point, nothing can be done about it. He has over 400 videos, which is a lot.
“We are traumatised, and there is no support being provided. People have the right to know if they were recorded so they are not haunted by this in the future,” a staff member said.
Access Bank Reaction
Access Bank has confirmed that it is cooperating with law enforcement after dismissing an employee accused of secretly filming colleagues in the bank’s restrooms.
In an official statement, the bank‘s management confirmed that the matter had been escalated to the appropriate authorities, and an investigation is currently underway.
“We uphold a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and any form of privacy violation,” the statement said. “We are fully cooperating with the authorities and engaging with affected employees to provide all necessary support.”
Access Bank assured the public that updates regarding the case will be shared through its official communication channels, stressing that the safety, dignity, and well-being of both employees and customers are its top priorities.