E-Financial
Worries over Arrests of Top Bankers for Alleged Terrorist Financing
The banking industry and State Security Service (SSS) are embroiled in claims and denials over the continued detention of senior personnel of 13 Nigerian banks for alleged terrorist financing and money laundering believed to have been perpetrated by Aminu Suleiman Lamido, son of Alhaji Sule Lamido, Jigawa State governor.
The banks whose staff are affected are Fidelity Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank Plc (FCMB), Wema Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc, First Bank Nigeria Limited (FBN), Sterling Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Unity Bank Plc, Ecobank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) and Citibank.
THISDAY reeported that the chief executive officers of the affected banks have continued to receive a barrage of phone calls from both foreign institutional investors and their foreign partners over the allegation.
Some financial market analysts have also warned that the development, which is being closely watched by the global financial community could make foreign banks shut down credit lines, not just to the affected banks, but to all the other local banks.
In addition, it may also lead to the withdrawal of funds from the Nigerian banking system by the banks that have international affiliations, international institutional investors and may hamper the performance of banks listed on international stock markets.
Some of the banks with foreign investors include Diamond Bank, which has the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Actis as institutional investors. The bank had also issued a Global Depository Receipts (GDR) and had done a private placement in US dollars in the past.
Also, Zenith Bank which issued a GDR last year, is also listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
In the same vein, GTBank which has investment by IFC, had issued both the GDR and Eurobond and is concluding plans to float another $400 million Eurobond. It is also listed on the LSE.
While First Bank and Fidelity Bank have respectively tapped from the Eurobond and GDR markets, Citibank and Ecobank are international banks.
In addition, FCMB also has foreign investor in form of Sabre Capital, while Access Bank has investments from IFC and FMO, the private sector investment arm of the government of Netherlands, and had issued a Eurobond and GDR.
Commenting on the development, the chief executive officer of a leading financial advisory firm, who preferred anonymity, said: “It will make things extremely difficult for Nigerian banks.
Firstly, if you remember in the last five years, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has been applauded and acknowledged for cleaning the system and so for anybody to come out now to say there is rot in the system, puts a lot of question mark on what the CBN had done.
“Foreign banks that have availing credit to Nigerian banks were doing so on the grounds that the banking system is transparent and properly governed, so the allegation might make some of them to start having a rethink on their relationship with Nigerian banks.”
Continuing, he explained: “For a bank like GTBank that has plans for a roadshow to market its Eurobond, it cannot do so again until this allegation is sorted out. For banks like Zenith, Fidelity, First Bank, Ecobank, Citibank, FCMB, Access and Diamond that have foreign investments in form of Eurobond, GDR and other form of partnership, they will feel the heat, which is not good for the country.
“The situation has the capacity of limiting foreign investment and participation in the Nigerian banking system, especially at a time when government is talking about attracting more foreign investment. So we may start seeing the exit of some of these foreign investors to countries like Ghana or Cote d’ Ivoire if the situation is not properly managed.”
Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has begun paying insured deposits to customers of the 46 recently failed microfinance banks.
Mr Thompson Sunday, managing director and chief executive, NDIC, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
The interview took place on the sidelines of the International Association of Deposit Insurers Africa Regional Committee meeting.
Sunday said the corporation was using the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBBS) and customers’ Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) for the payments.
He said the NDIC had traced depositors’ alternative bank accounts and credited them directly without requiring physical visits.
He advised depositors without BVNs to visit the nearest NDIC zonal office for verification and payment processing
“The CBN revoked the licences of the 46 microfinance banks on July 1, 2026,” he said.
He said the NDIC automatically became the provisional liquidator after the revocation, in line with the law.
Sunday said the corporation had commenced payment of the insured maximum deposit of N2 million to eligible customers.
He explained that further payments would depend on the recovery of the failed banks’ assets and outstanding debts.
He said proceeds realised from recoveries would be distributed as liquidation dividends to eligible depositors.
Sunday cited Heritage Bank, Aso Savings and Union Homes as examples of the NDIC’s prompt reimbursement efforts.
He said insured depositors of Heritage Bank were paid within four days of the revocation of its licence.
He added that customers of Aso Savings and Union Homes received payments within 72 hours.
“The law allows us 30 days, but we are working to surpass our previous records,” he said.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revoked the banks’ licences for failing to meet regulatory requirements for continued operations.
The apex bank said the action was aimed at protecting depositors, strengthening financial stability and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Mr Taiwo Oyedele, minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, has warned that fear, rumours and misinformation could trigger instability in the banking sector if not properly managed.
Mr Taiwo Oyedele, minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy
Oyedele gave the warning in Abuja at the 2026 International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) Africa Regional Committee (ARC) Annual Meeting and Workshop, with the theme: “Safeguarding Stability: Public Awareness and Crisis Readiness for a Stronger Future.”
The minister said public confidence remained the foundation of every stable financial system, stressing that panic triggered by false information could create liquidity challenges even for financially sound institutions.
According to him, “there can be no economic growth without financial system stability, and there can be no financial stability without public trust.”
He explained that in the digital age, misinformation could spread rapidly across social media platforms, causing depositors to react out of fear.
“Public trust is fragile. In the digital age, rumours and misinformation can spread across social platforms in seconds, creating liquidity shocks even for solvent institutions,” Oyedele said.
He stressed that building public awareness should not be viewed as a public relations activity, but as a key risk management strategy capable of protecting depositors and strengthening the financial system.
Oyedele noted that deposit insurance had evolved beyond a mechanism for handling bank failures, describing it as a strategic tool for promoting confidence and economic stability.
He said effective crisis preparedness required clear frameworks, communication channels, simulation exercises and coordination among financial sector regulators before emergencies occur.
“Preparedness is not an event, it is a culture,” he said, adding that the strongest crisis response was one that prevented panic from occurring in the first place.
Highlighting Nigeria’s financial sector reforms, the minister said the country’s banking recapitalisation exercise, concluded in March 2026, strengthened the resilience of banks.
He disclosed that 33 out of Nigeria’s 37 banks met the new capital requirements, raising a combined N4.65 trillion in fresh capital, with over 70 per cent sourced from domestic investors.
Oyedele said a better-capitalised banking system would be better positioned to absorb shocks, sustain lending and reduce pressure on the deposit insurance fund.
He also pointed to Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in October 2025 as another milestone that strengthened confidence in the country’s financial system.
Also speaking, Mr Olayemi Cardoso, governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said public awareness and crisis preparedness were central to maintaining financial stability.
Represented by Solaja Olayemi, director, Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department represented, Cardoso said financial systems globally were undergoing rapid transformation due to technological innovation, digital finance, changing consumer behaviour and increasing market interconnectedness.
According to him, while these developments create opportunities, they also introduce new risks that require stronger cooperation among financial safety-net institutions.
The CBN boss warned that misinformation could spread quickly through digital channels, amplifying depositor reactions and creating potential threats to financial stability.
He added that institutions must continuously strengthen crisis management frameworks, operational resilience and coordination mechanisms to respond effectively to emerging challenges.
The apex bank governor also highlighted the impact of Nigeria’s banking sector recapitalisation policy, saying stronger capital buffers would reduce the likelihood of bank failures and reinforce depositor confidence.
“No single institution can safeguard financial stability in isolation. It is through the coherence and complementarity of this institutional relationship that Nigeria’s financial safety net derives its strength,” he noted.
Earlier, Mr Thompson Sunday, managing director/chief executive officer, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), said confidence remained the most valuable asset in any financial system.
The NDIC boss said trust could take years to build but could be lost quickly if stakeholders perceived uncertainty or instability. He said deposit insurers must ensure that the public understands and trusts existing protection frameworks during both normal periods and times of crisis.
He noted that the 2023 global banking turmoil highlighted the need for institutions to invest in crisis simulation exercises, contingency planning and effective communication strategies.
According to him, the NDIC has continued to strengthen its operational readiness through improved depositor reimbursement systems, public awareness initiatives and enhanced crisis management capabilities.
European Union (EU) has warned the public against a fraudulent document circulating online which falsely claims that the bloc, in collaboration with the World Bank, is offering compensation to individuals whose funds are allegedly trapped in banks and financial institutions across West Africa.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS described the purported compensation programme as a scam, stressing that neither the European Union nor the World Bank is involved in any such initiative.
The fake document, fraudulently attributed to Thérèse Blanchet, secretary-general of the Council of the European Union, claimed that a special EU-World Bank recovery programme has been established to compensate citizens of Europe and other countries whose legally transferred funds were allegedly withheld by banks in the region.
It also falsely stated that the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS has been mandated to supervise the compensation exercise and directs potential claimants to contact him for processing.
However, the EU categorically dismissed the claims, describing every aspect of the document as fabricated.
“The document in its entirety is a scam. The information and claims contained therein are false. The European Union is neither aware of any such bogus programme nor part of it,” the Delegation stated.
The EU further disclosed that the email addresses and telephone numbers listed in the fraudulent document, purportedly belonging to Ms. Blanchet and Ambassador Gautier Mignot, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, , are fake and are being used by fraudsters to deceive unsuspecting victims.
The Delegation urged members of the public to ignore the fraudulent claims and avoid engaging with anyone promoting the scheme.
It emphasized that all official announcements from the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS are published exclusively through its official website and verified social media platforms.
The warning comes amid increasing cases of cyber-enabled financial fraud in which criminal syndicates impersonate international organisations, government institutions and senior officials to lure victims into paying fictitious processing fees or divulging sensitive personal and financial information.
The EU reiterated its commitment to combating fraud and misinformation while urging citizens to remain vigilant against scams exploiting the names and identities of reputable international institutions.
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