Nigerian SEC Intensifies Crackdown on Crypto Fraud Through Police Partnership
Nigeria's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is escalating its scrutiny of cryptocurrency operations, implementing new capital requirements for virtual asset service providers (VASPs) while forming a strategic alliance with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). This collaboration targets Ponzi schemes and fraudulent activities exploiting crypto's popularity among vulnerable investors.
SEC Director-General Dr. Emomotimi Agama emphasized the social consequences of these scams during talks with police leadership, stating: 'They cloak their deceit in the glamorous but misunderstood language of cryptocurrency... leaving behind shattered lives and depleted pensions.' The regulator identifies a critical enforcement gap that allows scammers to operate between detection and prosecution.