CBN Insists Crypto Trading Is Illegal Transactions, Asks Court to Freeze Accounts of Fintech Firms
- The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has urged a federal court in Abuja to freeze accounts of some fintech firms in the country
- The apex court through the former attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Michael Aondoaka, filed the suit on Tuesday, August 17
- Aondoakaa told the court that some of the firms were owned by individuals and organisations based in the United States
FCT, Abuja, The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has insisted that all cryptocurrency trading is an illegal forex transaction in the country.
TheCable reports that the federal high court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, August 17, granted the request of the CBN to freeze accounts belonging to some technology trading platforms offering local and foreign stocks.
Source: Getty Images
Legit.ng gathered that in his ruling, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, granted the prayers of the apex bank to freeze the accounts of RiseVest Technologies Limited, Bamboo Systems Technology Limited, Chaka Technologies Limited, and Trove Technologies Limited for 180 days.
The News also reports that the request was filed by former attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Michael Aondoaka, on behalf of the CBN.
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The online medium said that some of the affected companies include Rise Vest Technologies Limited, Bamboo Systems Technology Limited, Bamboo Systems Tech. Ltd., CTL/Business Expenses and Trove Technologies Limited.
Court empowers CBN to direct heads of banks to freeze some fintech accounts
The court order empowers the CBN to direct heads of banks in Nigeria to freeze forthwith all transactions on the 86 accounts on the list annexed to the CBN’s application and all other bank accounts of the defendants/respondents for a period of 180 days for the first set of defendants and 90 days for the second set.
According to the report, the accounts are to be frozen pending the outcome of the investigation and inquiry currently being conducted by the CBN.
Aondoaka said that the application was premised on the grounds that the firms were using the foreign exchange sourced from the Nigerian market to purchase foreign bonds/shares in contravention of its directive issued in July 2015.
He accused the firms of operating without licences as asset management companies, adding that the firms violated the CBN directive contained in its circular referenced TED/FEM/FPC/GEN/01/012 and dated July 1, 2015.
The former minister also said that the forex deals by the defendants were undercutting the strength of the naira against the dollar.
He said there was the need to block 15 accounts of the first set of firms for 180 days to stop the firms from moving their funds out of Nigeria.
Aondoaka added:
“We need to write the embassy, we need to go to the Foreign Affairs, the minister will serve the U.S. to seek assistance so that we can block these leakages.”
CBN vows to prosecute those spraying Naira in social events
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said it would work with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that anyone found abusing the naira such as spraying notes on social occasions is prosecuted.
It was reported that the apex bank spokesman, Osita Nwanisobi, made this known in a statement seen by Legit.ng on Tuesday, August 17.
The deputy governor, the corporate services department of the CBN, Edward Adamu, attributed the depreciation in the value of the naira to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy.
Source: Legit.ng
