The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has recently made an arrest in connection with the theft of over 200 million naira (approximately $246,153) from Patricia Technologies’ crypto wallet. The arrest of Wilfred Bonse, a politician, was announced by the NPF’s National Cybercrime Center after an investigation. According to the NPF’s public relations officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Bonse is accused of collaborating with hackers to launder 50 million naira (around $61,538) from the stolen funds. The charges against him include criminal conspiracy, unauthorized alteration of computer systems and network data, and the illicit diversion of funds exceeding 200 million naira. These allegations were outlined in a petition submitted to the inspector general of police.
The arrest of Bonse brings a glimmer of hope for Patricia Technologies, a crypto trading company that faced significant scrutiny following a hacking incident in May. Patricia took action to address customer concerns by converting the value of customer assets into its native Patricia Token (PTK) and promising future repayment. The company emphasized its commitment to integrity and customer trust by introducing PTK as an internal customer holding. To facilitate asset recovery after the security breach, Patricia pledged to reimburse holders with 1 Tether (USDT) token for each Patricia Token.
Efforts for Repayment and Asset Recovery
PTK functions as an internal token representing debt and is managed by the company. Patricia enlisted DLM Trust as an escrow agent in October to facilitate the distribution of customer repayments. Despite some disagreements that resulted in the withdrawal of the trust company, Patricia reaffirmed its intention to proceed with the repayment schedule this month.
Nigeria’s Crypto Savviness
Nigeria is known for its high crypto awareness, surpassing even the United States and European countries. According to a survey conducted with 15,158 participants from 15 countries, Nigeria leads in digital asset knowledge and perceived investment drive. The survey revealed that 99% of respondents in Nigeria were fully aware of cryptocurrencies, while 70% understood the value, operations, and fundamentals of blockchain technology.
