The Federal Government says it will shut down the operations of AbokiFX, a website providing currency exchange information, which the bank described as an illegal and criminal platform.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, who disclosed this while fielding questions after the Monetary policy committee’s two-day meeting in Abuja on Friday, September 17, 2021 said that the bank also plans to prosecute the owner of the platform, Olusegun Oniwinde.
He said, “I have given instructions to our experts to go after his website and let it be clear that we will go after him because we can’t allow this to continue.”
Emefiele accused Oniwinde of sabotaging Nigeria’s economy, vowing that Nigerian Government would collaborate with other security agencies to track him down.
“There was a particular time I asked our colleagues to find the so-called owner of ‘Aboxi FX’ that we want to engage him to understand his module, his basis and how he came about advertising those rates.
“We find him as a Nigerian who lives in England and conducts this nefarious and criminal activity on our economy. It is an economic sabotage and we will pursue him. Where ever he is, we will report him to international security agencies. Mr Oniwinde, we will find you!”
According to Emefiele, the CBN doesn’t recognize any forex market window besides the Investors and Exporters window.
On ban of forex sales to Bureau de Change operators, Emefiele said that the bank will not go back on its previous stance.
According to him, these BDC operators sell foreign exchange to criminals who import weapons to harm Nigerians and promote different forms of terrorism.
The CBN Governor said, “It truly beats my imagination that Nigerians continued with this type of practice (selling dollars to BDC) that tended to promote illegal activities who are involved in graft and corrupt practices.
He decried the security challenges in the country, lamenting that Bureau de Change operators were encouraging kidnapping, banditry and terrorism though the sale of FOREX.
He, however, noted that the apex bank will not continue to sell FOREX to people who purchase arms to hurt Nigerians.
According to Emefiele, the financial markets regulator is determined to eliminate the activities of illegal FOREX traders.
“We won’t support the corrupt tendencies of those who illegally buy dollars from our forex market, carry them in aircraft, buy arms and ammunition and bring them back into the country and conduct crimes.
“Nobody ever mentions the rate of Bureau de Change in the city of London. It really beats my imagination that Nigeria carried on with this kind of practice that tended to support illegal activities of people who are involved in graft and corrupt practices,” the CBN boss added.
