HSBC Bank Closes Accounts Of Redeem Christian Church In New York
OK, so I'm sure most of you have heard that HSBC recently closed the bank accounts of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, New York Branch. Their reason? According to a member and official of the church:
"HSBC’s recent refusal to continue their banking relationship with our church (International Chapel Brooklyn of The Redeemed Christian Church of God) was on the grounds that we are Nigerians and that they will not ‘deal’ with Nigerians.
I find it extremely difficult to believe the account was closed because they are Nigerians. It makes no sense to me. But then there are people saying you can't go to HSBC now with a Nigerian passport and have an account opened. If you live in New York, is this true?
i find it hard to believe that the only reason is because they are Nigerians. Come on, who doesn't want money these days especially from a church that probably deposits thousands of dollars in offerings per week. i go to redeemed but im not going to buy into the sentiment of thinking it was purely for nigerian reasons.
If that is a new policy, then nigerians should respond by not using their services. No new accounts and if u have one, then close it. Simple. that will get the message across. Non point fretting
i once tried to open an HSBC account in the UK and they told me because i had a Nigerian passport, they would have to do additional security checks which would take longer than it normally would to open on like a British passport for example. That was in 2009, Now they're probably refusing outright so yes i find it very easy to believe.
The only reason a bank can close an account is if the person writes bad checks on it or engages in some other activity that is not conducive to a proper business relationship.
A bank cannot refuse service based on sex, race, national origin, gender, etc.
in the uk now, you cannot open an account a nigerian passport on a visiting visa, unless u want to do all them barclays wealth accounts with 100k pounds in it
Nigeria no dey carry last - i no that's warri, but enough of all these na. The church/individual carry their business else where.
There are also bad guys from other countries haba!!
If them dey fear us it just goes to show how much we can offer the world if we put our brains to good use. We (NIGERIANS) have the capacity to rule the world - in a positive way.
Haba, only Naija. They will hear from us. God bless us nyafy nyafu, we are survivors. I am against bad behaviour, but the WORLD should watch out for us.
WTF!!!
Oya Jonathan, engage Nigerians in Diapora, quick quick. The youth, not the pot bellied ambassadors - new generation ambassadors.
In fact i dey go facebook go give GEJ some right talking to....wetin sef.
LOL maybe they were suspicious of the monies coming into the account! btw Thank God i dont bank with HSBC sha if not i would have boycotted them straight up!!
Actually I believe this story; when I went to HSBC to open an account, they refused to give me an account, claiming that they needed to watch out for money laundering- they wanted me to close all my accounts and move all my money into their account, can you believe that nonsense? Anyway, we don't need HSBC- what goes round comes round.
@anonymous 8:16..maybe you should step out with your passport and get a hint of what is really happening. I find this VERY EASY to believe. Nigerians have made bad names for themselves and the world isn't happy with that. Im sorry...but welcome to reality babies
i serious doubt the validity of this story..regardless of how fraudulent some nijas can be..they cannot close their account on those grounds...they might have written a lot of bad checks, and overdrawn their account a lot..in fact when u are opening an account in the US no one asks u what ur country of origin is all u need is your Id card and ssn/tax id..the story doesn't add up to me!!!! some Nigerians are very rough around the edges..i just hope they didnt go there to fight or make trouble in the bank..that could also get ur account closed..some Nija ppl have a tendency of acting wild here in the US...so lets not just jump to conclusions quite yet!!!!
LINDA ITS VERY VERY TRUE, EVEN HERE IN MALAYSIA , OTHER BANKS WILL OPEN ACCOUNT FOR YOU, BUT WHEN U GO TO HSBC BANK THEY WILL NOT OPEN, FIRST THEY WILL ASK YOU WHATS YOUR NATIONALITY , ONCE YOU SAY NIGERIAN, THEY WILL COME UP WITH STORIES NOT TO OPEN. I DONT BLAME THEM SHA. ITS THE BAD IMAGE WE HAVE ALREADY. BUT HSBC BANK IN SWITZ WONT DENY LOLZ LOLZ
lol, it sounds like a bunch of bullocks to me. I have a feeling that particular church is into some dodgy activities, hence the Bank excercising its right to close the account.
Two things stare at me from this story, 1. Redeemed Church and 2. Money in the bank. Whoever made that statement on behalf of the Church is lying, no bank has the right to close any account simply because they are Nigerians, or from any other country for that matter, only if there had been monetary malpractices by the owner of the account. Some stupid Nigerians are too quick to jump on HSBC but can't see that the Redeemed Church is business that disguises as a Church so that it can be exempt from paying tax, even after all the money they generate from their gullible followers who "Pay Per Prayer".
Prof. Ade Adefuye our Ambassador to the United States is looking into this.
HSBC must have a genuine reason for doing this. Someone on FB commented and said it was due to money laundering and the huge amounts of money moving in and out of the bank.
However, i call it double standards! The Gaddafis have zillions with HSBC and lots of politicians and fraudsters have money there too. Why single out the RCCG?
Is it possible? Yes! Everyone should wake up to the fact that racism is alive and well. Nigerians are a huge target, not just because of fraud (because those who accuse us are much better at it than we will ever be)but because we are the largest, most populous and potentially the richest totally black and African nation on earth. They never tout our achievements but the few bad reports are trumpeted to the heavens. They will never tell you that a Nigerian owns Gatwick airport or any such thing.
Is it probable? No. Banks never refuse money. Even if it comes from a leper. They are so greedy and avaricious, they don't care if you starve to death as long as your money is in their hands. Where do you think all of Africa's wealth has gone? To the Western banks of course!
But it is possible because the rate of expansion of Redeemed Church and other majority Nigerian pentecostal churches has started ringing alarm bells in the west. Whereas before blacks would have been content to sit in the back corners of white dominated churches listening to dry sermons that have nothing whatsoever to do with their real lives of suffering and hardship (brought upon them by the same people they called fellow "christians"), now Nigerian churches have taken the baton from prosperity preachers and are seriously running with it. They tell their members to go out there and build businesses. They offer counsel, advice and guidance which they will never get from the oppressor. And it is working! The other day I learnt that a Nigerian church and the 2nd largest supermarket in UK bid for a huge property in London and the church outbid the supermarket and bought the property to the surprise of all of them. Now wherever that church wants to open a branch the people quickly gather themselves together to sign useless petitions and protest against it. Their worst fear is that they will wake up one morning and Nigerians have taken their rightful leadership status and have taught all African and black people how to outsmart them and free themselves from this artificial slavery/poverty they have imposed on themselves (not us).
I once had an account with HSBC in the UK in late 2007. I got a letter from the bank after running the account for 6 months, that they can't provide banking services to me again. Shocked, I inquired why, but did not get any concrete reason from them.
At about the same time, I know 3 other friends also in the UK who got similar letters from HSBC.
It's nothing but a VERY poor case of stereotyping. It's inexcusable and sad. Being Nigerian does not make anyone a criminal by default!
I believe that there's more to this story. My sibling banks with HSBC with no problems.
The lesson from this is that as Nigerians (both abroad and at home) we all have a responsibilty to represent Nig positively wherever we go and in whatever we do. Otherwise both the guilty and innocent would suffer for it, especially in this world where people are quick to form stereotypes.
There is no smoke without fire. Banks all over the country no matter the status need money. However, if the kind of money makes some banks different from others. The racism card does not aplly apply here.
New york is the heart of America and America is all about equal opportunity. so this is bull crap. the truth of the matter is that Redeem is using the account for money laundering period. the bank discovered that too many money transfers coming in the name of church, but actually it is government money through connections that are being transferred. the investigation is stilll going on, so watch out for the out come. this is just an empty cry from Redeem to disabuse peoples mind befoore the outcome.
people are talking about using nigerian passport to operate account in a foreign land. please understand that your passport is not an acceptable form of identification to open an account. if you walk into a bank with your passport (from any nation) it means that you are an immigrant. banking is a benefit accorded to either citizens or permanent residents of a nation. so be it in America, europe or Nigeria no form of passport is acceptable except your passport is recognized under that nations partnership agreement. like EU , North America OR West African union. if not then you must have to deposit a big chunk of money as collateral...that way your passport can be recognised.
i find it hard to believe that the only reason is because they are Nigerians. Come on, who doesn't want money these days especially from a church that probably deposits thousands of dollars in offerings per week.
ReplyDeletei go to redeemed but im not going to buy into the sentiment of thinking it was purely for nigerian reasons.
If that is a new policy, then nigerians should respond by not using their services. No new accounts and if u have one, then close it. Simple. that will get the message across. Non point fretting
ReplyDeleteFollow up to my comment, note I don't go to Redeemded neither do I care for then...also don't use HSBC
ReplyDeletebut there are other banks in the world.....I could go on
I am not surprised. I don't find that hard to believe at all.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about New York, but in the UK, you can't even take a Nigerian passport to any bank without them scrutinizing both you and your passport!
Why? Due to Nigerians and fraud!
It's very sad sha!
i once tried to open an HSBC account in the UK and they told me because i had a Nigerian passport, they would have to do additional security checks which would take longer than it normally would to open on like a British passport for example. That was in 2009, Now they're probably refusing outright so yes i find it very easy to believe.
ReplyDelete@ anon 7.57pm
ReplyDeleteBritish people have issues with Nigeria even though they started and indirectly encourage fraud in the country.
I know several Nigerians visitors who have been able to open accounts recently in U.S banks.
The RCCG paris is just not been sincere.
Total BS.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason a bank can close an account is if the person writes bad checks on it or engages in some other activity that is not conducive to a proper business relationship.
A bank cannot refuse service based on sex, race, national origin, gender, etc.
in the uk now, you cannot open an account a nigerian passport on a visiting visa, unless u want to do all them barclays wealth accounts with 100k pounds in it
ReplyDeleteNigeria no dey carry last - i no that's warri, but enough of all these na. The church/individual carry their business else where.
ReplyDeleteThere are also bad guys from other countries haba!!
If them dey fear us it just goes to show how much we can offer the world if we put our brains to good use. We (NIGERIANS) have the capacity to rule the world - in a positive way.
Haba, only Naija. They will hear from us. God bless us nyafy nyafu, we are survivors. I am against bad behaviour, but the WORLD should watch out for us.
WTF!!!
Oya Jonathan, engage Nigerians in Diapora, quick quick. The youth, not the pot bellied ambassadors - new generation ambassadors.
In fact i dey go facebook go give GEJ some right talking to....wetin sef.
Not buying this. I live in the U.S and I opened my HSBC account online, i didnt even have to go into a branch.
ReplyDeletethere's definitely more to the story jare.
Banks are begging for business everywhere since the recession hit, why would they throw business away for no good reason?
close my HSBC account because a bitter dodgy Nigerian's account was closed...anon 7:51pm you must need a brain!
ReplyDeleteLOL maybe they were suspicious of the monies coming into the account! btw Thank God i dont bank with HSBC sha if not i would have boycotted them straight up!!
ReplyDeleteActually I believe this story; when I went to HSBC to open an account, they refused to give me an account, claiming that they needed to watch out for money laundering- they wanted me to close all my accounts and move all my money into their account, can you believe that nonsense? Anyway, we don't need HSBC- what goes round comes round.
ReplyDelete@anonymous 8:16..maybe you should step out with your passport and get a hint of what is really happening. I find this VERY EASY to believe. Nigerians have made bad names for themselves and the world isn't happy with that. Im sorry...but welcome to reality babies
ReplyDeletei serious doubt the validity of this story..regardless of how fraudulent some nijas can be..they cannot close their account on those grounds...they might have written a lot of bad checks, and overdrawn their account a lot..in fact when u are opening an account in the US no one asks u what ur country of origin is all u need is your Id card and ssn/tax id..the story doesn't add up to me!!!! some Nigerians are very rough around the edges..i just hope they didnt go there to fight or make trouble in the bank..that could also get ur account closed..some Nija ppl have a tendency of acting wild here in the US...so lets not just jump to conclusions quite yet!!!!
ReplyDeleteLINDA ITS VERY VERY TRUE, EVEN HERE IN MALAYSIA , OTHER BANKS WILL OPEN ACCOUNT FOR YOU, BUT WHEN U GO TO HSBC BANK THEY WILL NOT OPEN, FIRST THEY WILL ASK YOU WHATS YOUR NATIONALITY , ONCE YOU SAY NIGERIAN, THEY WILL COME UP WITH STORIES NOT TO OPEN. I DONT BLAME THEM SHA. ITS THE BAD IMAGE WE HAVE ALREADY. BUT HSBC BANK IN SWITZ WONT DENY LOLZ LOLZ
ReplyDeleteRCCG PARISH,,,,,,They are sincere,,,,my Aunt confirmed it.....its so sad how this AKATAS treat Nigerians.....his AKATAS treat Nigerians.....
ReplyDeletelol, it sounds like a bunch of bullocks to me. I have a feeling that particular church is into some dodgy activities, hence the Bank excercising its right to close the account.
ReplyDeleteTwo things stare at me from this story, 1. Redeemed Church and 2. Money in the bank. Whoever made that statement on behalf of the Church is lying, no bank has the right to close any account simply because they are Nigerians, or from any other country for that matter, only if there had been monetary malpractices by the owner of the account. Some stupid Nigerians are too quick to jump on HSBC but can't see that the Redeemed Church is business that disguises as a Church so that it can be exempt from paying tax, even after all the money they generate from their gullible followers who "Pay Per Prayer".
ReplyDeleteProf. Ade Adefuye our Ambassador to the United States is looking into this.
ReplyDeleteHSBC must have a genuine reason for doing this. Someone on FB commented and said it was due to money laundering and the huge amounts of money moving in and out of the bank.
However, i call it double standards! The Gaddafis have zillions with HSBC and lots of politicians and fraudsters have money there too. Why single out the RCCG?
Is it possible? Yes!
ReplyDeleteEveryone should wake up to the fact that racism is alive and well. Nigerians are a huge target, not just because of fraud (because those who accuse us are much better at it than we will ever be)but because we are the largest, most populous and potentially the richest totally black and African nation on earth. They never tout our achievements but the few bad reports are trumpeted to the heavens. They will never tell you that a Nigerian owns Gatwick airport or any such thing.
Is it probable? No.
Banks never refuse money. Even if it comes from a leper. They are so greedy and avaricious, they don't care if you starve to death as long as your money is in their hands. Where do you think all of Africa's wealth has gone? To the Western banks of course!
But it is possible because the rate of expansion of Redeemed Church and other majority Nigerian pentecostal churches has started ringing alarm bells in the west. Whereas before blacks would have been content to sit in the back corners of white dominated churches listening to dry sermons that have nothing whatsoever to do with their real lives of suffering and hardship (brought upon them by the same people they called fellow "christians"), now Nigerian churches have taken the baton from prosperity preachers and are seriously running with it. They tell their members to go out there and build businesses. They offer counsel, advice and guidance which they will never get from the oppressor. And it is working! The other day I learnt that a Nigerian church and the 2nd largest supermarket in UK bid for a huge property in London and the church outbid the supermarket and bought the property to the surprise of all of them. Now wherever that church wants to open a branch the people quickly gather themselves together to sign useless petitions and protest against it. Their worst fear is that they will wake up one morning and Nigerians have taken their rightful leadership status and have taught all African and black people how to outsmart them and free themselves from this artificial slavery/poverty they have imposed on themselves (not us).
So our rep is now as bad as that!
ReplyDeleteI once had an account with HSBC in the UK in late 2007. I got a letter from the bank after running the account for 6 months, that they can't provide banking services to me again. Shocked, I inquired why, but did not get any concrete reason from them.
ReplyDeleteAt about the same time, I know 3 other friends also in the UK who got similar letters from HSBC.
It's nothing but a VERY poor case of stereotyping. It's inexcusable and sad. Being Nigerian does not make anyone a criminal by default!
I believe that there's more to this story. My sibling banks with HSBC with no problems.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson from this is that as Nigerians (both abroad and at home) we all have a responsibilty to represent Nig positively wherever we go and in whatever we do. Otherwise both the guilty and innocent would suffer for it, especially in this world where people are quick to form stereotypes.
Anonymous 9:25 u re a fool serously,i wish i can shot u twice
ReplyDeleteThis people sef.... Dem think say na pulpit dem dey??? Abeg tell dat to a kid.
ReplyDelete@ Anon 9:25 AM - I give you the name you "the great daft idiot'!!
ReplyDeleteQuite appropriate considering you think like one.
Mschewww!!
There is no smoke without fire. Banks all over the country no matter the status need money. However, if the kind of money makes some banks different from others. The racism card does not aplly apply here.
ReplyDeleteWHAT A JOKE...HAVE HAD AN HSBC A/C FOR DONKEY YEARS AND THEY HAVE ALWAYS TREATED ME NICE!!!
ReplyDeleteBANKS DONT CARE WHERE YOU ARE FROM, THEY CARE THAT YOU ARE NOT A FRAUDSTER AND THEY CAN MAKE MONEY FROM YOU!
racists!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nigerians should close their accounts abroad n only deal with nigerian banks abroad
ReplyDeleteNew york is the heart of America and America is all about equal opportunity. so this is bull crap. the truth of the matter is that Redeem is using the account for money laundering period. the bank discovered that too many money transfers coming in the name of church, but actually it is government money through connections that are being transferred. the investigation is stilll going on, so watch out for the out come. this is just an empty cry from Redeem to disabuse peoples mind befoore the outcome.
ReplyDeletepeople are talking about using nigerian passport to operate account in a foreign land. please understand that your passport is not an acceptable form of identification to open an account. if you walk into a bank with your passport (from any nation) it means that you are an immigrant. banking is a benefit accorded to either citizens or permanent residents of a nation. so be it in America, europe or Nigeria no form of passport is acceptable except your passport is recognized under that nations partnership agreement. like EU , North America OR West African union. if not then you must have to deposit a big chunk of money as collateral...that way your passport can be recognised.
ReplyDelete