Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has warned the public of a fresh cyber hack attempt to access personal accounts, just days after the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) confirmed a major cyber attack on its systems.

CBN

In a statement signed by Hakama Sidi‑Ali, acting director of corporate communications, issued Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the apex bank said cybercriminals are circulating fraudulent emails and online messages falsely claiming to originate from the CBN.

The messages reportedly contain suspicious links and false narratives about the bank’s leadership, licensing activities, and policy decisions, with the aim of compromising Nigerians’ personal information and hacking their accounts.

The CBN reiterated that its official website remains www.cbn.gov.ng and urged Nigerians to avoid clicking links or sharing sensitive data via suspicious websites or unknown contacts. It also advised the public to verify all CBN‑related communications through the official portal and recognised media outlets, and to report suspected fraudulent sites or emails to law enforcement.

The warning comes after the CAC confirmed on April 15, 2026, that its information systems were breached by hackers, exposing millions of company documents and triggering an investigation by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

The CBN said it is strengthening its cybersecurity frameworks in collaboration with relevant agencies to protect the financial system and safeguard users from digital fraud.

PalmPay said that it has surpassed 35 million users, a figure that reflects a broader transition in the sector from rapid customer acquisition to sustained, everyday financial usage.

Chika Nwosu, Managing Director-CEO, PalmPay Nigeria

The consumer payments platform entered Nigeria’s fintech market in 2019 and is today a major player, offering a suite of financial services including transfers, bill payments, and digital insurance to promote financial inclusion.

In a market historically shaped by traditional banks, emerging fintechs, and a strong cash culture, scale alone is no longer the defining benchmark of success.

Instead, attention is shifting to how effectively platforms integrate into the daily financial routines of individuals and businesses.

Central to PalmPay’s growth is its alignment with Nigeria’s payment infrastructure.

The platform has executed live transactions on the National Payment Stack operated by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), placing it within an interoperable framework that connects banks, fintechs, and other financial service providers.

Within this ecosystem, industry observers note that competition is increasingly determined by system performance—uptime, transaction success rates, and reliability—rather than product differentiation alone.

However, integration at the infrastructure level does not automatically translate to inclusion. According to data from Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA), a significant proportion of Nigerians—particularly in rural and underserved communities—remain outside the formal financial system.

To address this gap, PalmPay has expanded its agent network, mirroring a wider industry approach that combines digital platforms with physical access points.

Through these agents, users can carry out deposits, withdrawals, transfers, and onboarding, effectively bridging the divide between cash-based transactions and digital finance.

This hybrid model has become a cornerstone of financial service delivery in Nigeria, underscoring the importance of distribution alongside technology.

Beyond core payment services, PalmPay has also extended into financial literacy and capacity-building initiatives, targeting underserved groups such as women-led businesses and first-time digital users. The move signals a growing recognition that access alone is insufficient without the knowledge and confidence to participate fully in the financial system.

Overall, PalmPay’s reported scale offers insight into a maturing fintech landscape, where growth is increasingly defined not just by user numbers, but by the extent to which platforms become embedded in the everyday financial lives of Nigerians.

Police prosecutors from the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) have arraigned  Nnedimma Arah, a senior manager at First Bank Limited, before the Federal High Court, Lagos, over allegations of forgery.

Before Nnedimma’s arraignment, the detectives had filed a three-count charge against her and one Temitope Ogheneteme, based on advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

But during the proceedings, Emmanuel Eze, Police prosecutor, urged the court to remove Temitope Ogheneteme’s name from the charge, citing the DPP’s legal advice.

Justice Daniel Osiagor, trial judge,  granted this request, and Ogheneteme was discharged.

This amendment left Arah, who is the branch manager of Dosumu, Lagos Island, and an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA), as the sole defendant in Charge No. FHC/L/582C/2025.

Arah was accused of forging a letter of undertaking, supposedly issued by Freshborn Industries Limited on August 12, 2022, to cover foreign exchange differences.

Eze claimed that the alleged forgery occurred from January 2023 to January 2024 at the Dosunmu Branch.

He claimed that the document was forged with the intent to deceive, harming Freshborn Industries Nigeria Limited and its representatives, Anene Ikenna and Anene Chinyere Angela.

The prosecutor further maintained that the offence is punishable under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Her defence requested bail, noting she had previously been on administrative bail and had attended court proceedings diligently.

Justice Osiagor granted her bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum.

The case’s progress was delayed earlier because the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was reviewing the case file after a petition from First Bank.

In a letter dated January 26, 2026, the DPP asked the police to review the case under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The bank’s petition to the Attorney-General stated that the dispute involved a $400,000 credit facility to Freshborn Industries Limited, which is also pending in a civil suit before the Lagos State High Court.

The bank argued that the criminal charges stem from a commercial dispute and warned that this could constitute an abuse of the legal process.

The judge has fixed the trial for July 14 and 15, 2026.