The Nigerian government is exploring avenues to probe some digital loan apps over what has been described as alleged sharp practices and abuses.
The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Banking and Currency, Financial Crimes and Telecommunications to commence investigation into operations and loan administration of the fintech companies and online mobile digital loan apps in Nigeria.
According to the motion, these unregulated Nigerian fintech companies shame, threaten customers for late payment of loans; Cognizance of the need to investigate activities these fintech companies including OKash, Opay, PayLater, PalmCredit, Branch, QuickCheck, Aella Credit, FairMoney, KiaKia, EasyCredit, NewCredit, Umba, Carbon, and FirstNell.
Others include; SoftNaira, SharpCash, Newcredit, Cash Mall, NairaLand, Naira9ja, New Credit Loan App, Future Cash, SharpCredit, MoneyHub, 9jaCash, Henloan, Get Loan, Plenty Cash, Fundy, iMoneyPlus, CashCredit, LifeLine, Lumos Loan, NairaPlus, Care Finance, Cashbean, CashMe, LoanMe, LifePurse iLoanPro, LairaPlus, OxLoan and NoNowMoney, among others.
The lawmakers claims that these loan apps coerced low income Nigerians earners to borrow and then get trapped in the web of sham.
He said they the COVID-19 pandemic affected many economies including Nigeria as jobs were lost and incomes were affected, due to the lockdowns, restrictions on movement and face-to-face interactions sped up the pace of digitalisation of financial services and the infiltration of some unscrupulous unregulated financial service operators.
He said: “These predatory lending apps are disguised as platforms where unsuspecting members of the public are promised access quick loans with no collateral except provision of bank verification number (BVN).
“Such victims are expected to repay loans at astronomical interest rates within 3-7 days as against the 91 to 365 days claim on Google Play store which has over 83.07% market share in Nigeria.
“Most of these loan apps or companies and individuals operate with no regulation by government, expired licenses and in some cases, no licensing.”
The lawmakers expressed concerns that the founding directors of these apps were foreign nationals who don’t have license to operate the volume of financial transaction in the country.
“Many of such online loan apps operating in Nigeria disbursing loans to customers with no collateral and defaulters are always sent threatening messages and that Loan apps and other fintech products can be used for money-laundering and other forms of illicit financial flows (IFF).
The House gave the committee 4 weeks within which to conclude the assignment and report back to the House for further legislative action.
I am a victim of SOKOLOAN Lending Company Ltd, the company disbursed unsolicited 26,000 into my account and I informed them I don’t want it, they later told me to return it which I did with proof sent their email. Twonweeks after they messaged me that I am owing them an interest of 13,000 which I refused and they sent defamatory messages to my over 4,000 contacts that I am a criminal and that I have been declared wanted that public members are not to transact or trust me with funds or business.
I have reported this to the CBN and later applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission to unveil the corporate personality behind the company. Now I have them and I am commencing a legal action against them.
Those people are crazy, why will they disburse unsolicited money to your account? I’ve heard they do this alot, legal action seriously need to be taken against them.
Is their any way to deal with henload i took a loan from the company for 7 days and the repayment was done by exactly day i supposed to pay and my picture was been to my people as wanted criminals
WTF! Why will they do that? This is not good at all. Nothing you can do except you report them to authorities