The House of Representatives has mandated its relevant committees to invite the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Yemi Cardoso, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of all Commercial Banks and other Financial Institutions utilising Point of Sale (PoS) terminals, to appear before them an find measures to address the challenges posed by the undocumented identities of the PoS operators.
The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. John Okafor from Imo State at plenary on Wednesday.
Presenting the motion, Okafor said the increasing challenges posed by the undocumented identities of PoS operators and fund recipients in Nigeria has led to opportunities for fraudulent activities within the financial system and it was necessary to combat such illicit practices and safeguard the integrity of financial transactions within Nigeria.
The lawmaker informed that undocumented PoS transactions from both parties create a loophole for fraudulent activities, such as identity theft, money laundering, and unauthorised transactions.
He said by enforcing the documentation of users’ identity, the incidence of fraud will significantly reduce and the security of financial transactions in Nigeria will be enhanced.
“Proper documentation of POS users’ identity fosters accountability among operators and users. This transparency will help trace transactions back to the individuals involved, holding them accountable for illegal activities conducted through the PoS system, and ensure a lasting end to the
criminal use of PoS.
“There is an obvious regulatory bias and enforcement challenge towards due process by the relevant regulatory bodies and the urgency for immediate intervention to avert this ugly situation and shield Nigerians from the hands of criminalities through the use of the POS system.
“Establishing a system for verifiable documentation of POS users’ and recipients’ identity aligns with the national and international financial regulatory requirements with the objective of preventing financial crimes and ensuring compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and know your customer (KYC) regulations,” he added.
