The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disassociated itself from a false statement that claimed the top bank would stop all banking activity for five days prior to the general elections.
In an effort to prevent vote buying in the general elections scheduled for Saturday, statements about the apex bank closing transactions from February 23 to 27 went popular on social media, with many people reposting them.
The reports read: “CBN Plans to shut down financial transaction from Thursday 23 of Febuary till 27th of February.
“Go and stock your home. Anyhow, you can get money between today and tomorrow, get and keep it, also whatever transfer you want to do, do it between today and tomorrow, information am hearing is that, as from Thursday, bank network will go off till Sunday or Monday, so that politician will not be able to transfer money to anybody for vote, so buy enough food at hom , do your transfer now. Because the next five days will be difficult. Please.”
But in a swift statement on Wednesday, CBN’s Director of Corporate Communications, Osita Nwanisobi, described the statement as fake.
He further warned the general public to be wary of fake and unverified news.
