Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The recent outrage by customers of one of Nigeria’s top financial technology companies, Kuda Bank, has forced the company to issue a statement, appealing to Nigerians that the event superseded its capacity.
It was recently rumoured that Kuda Bank ‘sold out’ its customers to the authorities and this did not go down well its customers and some Nigerians, who felt betrayed and raised questions about their safety.
But reacting, Kuda Bank said it was important to obey the rules and regulations of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as it carries out its operations.
The bank informed customers that if it did not act against what fell under fraudulent acts, the bank would be considered to be breaking the law and could face sanctions.
The message partly read: “Let’s be crystal clear: We are on your side. We are your bank. There should never be any doubt about this.
“But as much as we are on your side, we are also a licensed financial institution and our banking license comes with regulations and rules that we must obey.
“If we disobey these regulations and rules, we will not be allowed to continue running a bank for you or anyone else. There will be no bank of the free if we break the law.
“So, when a Kuda customer uses their account in a way that breaks the law, we must do what the law demands.
“In some cases, this could be as simple as asking the customer to explain what they use their account for. This is part of a standard KYC (Know Your Customer) process for any financial institution.
“In cases of clear fraud, the law demands that we report the customer to the appropriate authorities and close their account with us so that they won’t continue to defraud other people of their money with that account.
“Remember that it could be you being defrauded, and we must do everything in our power to prevent this from happening.
“If we do not do what the law demands in these cases, we will also be considered to be breaking the law.
“This is why, for example, we have advised everyone not to use their Kuda account for cryptocurrency transactions of any kind, otherwise we’ll be forced to close their account as demanded by regulations.
“As of today, licensed financial institutions like ours are prohibited from enabling cryptocurrency transactions and we are not allowed to ignore this prohibition. It is simply what the law demands.”
Following the CBN’s ban on cryptocurrency trading on February 12, 2021, Kuda Bank sent a message to customers notifying them of its new cryptocurrency position.
The message read: “In the light of the recent letters and statements issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria concerning transactions relating to cryptocurrency, please note that Kuda Microfinance Bank is not allowed to and does not deal in, or facilitate the trading of, any form of cryptocurrency.
“Consequently, we strongly advise that you do not use your Kuda account for cryptocurrency-related activities so you don’t get into trouble with the law.”
