The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) announced the apprehension of Wilfred Bonse, a politician allegedly involved in the theft of over N200 million ($246,153) from the crypto wallet belonging to Patricia Technologies. According to Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Police Public Relations Officer, Bonse was purportedly linked to aiding hackers in laundering 50 million naira ($61,538) derived from the stolen funds.
Adejobi revealed in a statement issued on Friday that significant headway had been made by the NPF's National Cybercrime Centre regarding the Patricia Technologies case. The case involves accusations of criminal conspiracy, unauthorized modification of computer systems and network data, and the illicit transfer of funds exceeding 200 million naira ($246,153), as outlined in a petition presented to the Inspector General of Police.
The arrest of Bonse was confirmed by an NPF spokesperson, asserting charges of theft, manipulation of a cryptocurrency wallet, and the unauthorized transfer of funds from Patricia Technologies. The official statement detailed the purported involvement of multiple individuals, some of whom remain at large. Bonse stands accused of colluding to launder 50 million naira, with 607 million naira ($747,076) allegedly transferred from Patricia Technology's account to his bank account through a cryptocurrency wallet. The investigation into this matter remains ongoing.
These arrests related to the Patricia Technologies robbery offer a glimpse of potential relief for the cryptocurrency trading company. Patricia Technologies faced intense scrutiny following a hack in May that led to substantial losses of customer funds.
Patricia Technologies, in response to the hack, undertook measures wherein the value of client assets was converted into the native Patricia Token (PTK) for future reimbursements. Stressing their commitment to integrity and client trust, Patricia introduced PTK into internal client holdings. The company pledged compensation to holders at a rate of 1 Tether for each Patricia token, designed to aid in asset recovery post-security breach. Patricia clarified that PTK operates off-chain, managed internally as a token representing debt.
In an attempt to reassure concerned customers, Patricia disclosed in October its engagement of DLM Trust as an escrow agent to facilitate customer reimbursements. However, due to diverging views with the company, DLM withdrew from the arrangement. Despite this setback, Patricia expressed its intent to adhere to its repayment plan this month.
