The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has issued a stern warning to the public, disavowing a fraudulent circular posted by BNBEX on its website.
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has issued a stern warning to the public, disavowing a fraudulent circular posted by BNBEX on its website.
The circular falsely claimed that the NFIU was conducting a compliance review of all transactions involving Nigerian users on the platform under the purported “Nigerian Financial Surveillance Regulation.”
In a press statement released on Wednesday, Sani Tukur, Head of the Strategic Communications Department of NFIU, categorically stated that the NFIU neither authored nor authorized the circular. “The NFIU wishes to inform all financial system stakeholders and the general public that it did not authorise nor author the document recently posted by BNBEX on its website,” Tukur emphasized.
The NFIU further clarified that the alleged “Nigerian Financial Surveillance Regulation” mentioned in the circular is non-existent and has no legal standing within the regulatory frameworks governing financial transactions in Nigeria. “The Unit wishes to state that the so-called ‘Nigerian Financial Surveillance Regulation’ is a fabrication with no basis in Nigerian law,” Tukur added.
Moreover, the NFIU denounced the use of its insignia and logo in the circular, labeling them as counterfeit. “The logo and insignia used in the circular do not belong to the NFIU and are completely fake,” Tukur asserted. He also clarified that the address mentioned in the circular as a supposed NFIU office in the Central Business District, Abuja, is fictitious, reiterating that the NFIU’s only office is located at No. 1 Monrovia Street, Wuse II, Abuja.
The NFIU urged the public to disregard the fraudulent circular and to verify any information purporting to be from the Unit through its official communication channels. “NFIU strongly dissociates itself from the claims made in the circular and urges members of the public to rely only on official NFIU channels for accurate and legitimate information,” Tukur emphasized.
The Unit also stated unequivocally that it has no connection with BNBEX and has not validated any of the entity’s operations.
For further inquiries or to report suspicious communications claiming to be from the NFIU, the public is advised to contact the Strategic Communications Department via email at info@nfiu.gov.ng.