Business
NITDA debunks association with online earning platform demanding payment
The National Information Technology Development Agency has denied any affiliation with an online earning and marketing platform known as CPM. This rebuttal follows reports that the platform was demanding money from users to repair its allegedly hacked systems.
The agency issued the disclaimer in a statement signed by its Director, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Department, Hadiza Umar, on Monday, describing the reports as false and misleading.
According to media reports, subscribers via the platform operators reported that their systems had been hacked and that additional payments were required from subscribers to resolve the issue and recover funds.
NITDA allegedly was helping them to resolve the issue and that subscribers needed to make additional payments to support the process.
NITDA debunked those reports dissociating itself from CPM, noting that the agency, as a government agency, did not request money.
“NITDA wishes to categorically state that these claims are false and misleading.
“As a government agency and Nigeria’s Information Technology regulator, NITDA does not request or collect money from citizens to provide incident response support, recover funds, or assist private entities in resolving cybersecurity incidents,” NITDA said.
The agency alleged that the efforts of the so-called CPM to disguise itself as NITDA indicated possible social engineering and fraudulent activity. It said the efforts targeted exploiting affected individuals under the pretence of resolving a cybersecurity incident or recovering lost investments.
NITDA warned Nigerians against making financial payments to any bodies or organisations that claim NITDA requires such payments for operations.
“Members of the public are therefore strongly advised to exercise caution and avoid making any additional payments to any individual, group, or platform claiming that such payments are required by or connected to NITDA.
READ ALSO: NITDA, IDCA partner to transform Nigeria’s digital economy
“The reported pattern may indicate possible social engineering or fraudulent activity aimed at exploiting affected individuals under the guise of resolving a cybersecurity incident or recovering lost investments,” the agency said.
NITDA said Nigeria should exercise caution when dealing with online investment and trading platforms and must avoid sending additional funds in an attempt to recover previous investments or losses.
The agency added that online users must verify any claims of government involvement directly through official channels and refrain from sharing sensitive personal or financial information with unverified entities.
The regulator reiterated that Nigerians must promptly report suspicious cyber-related activities to the appropriate authorities to contain increasing risks of online attacks and fraud.
“NITDA remains committed to promoting cybersecurity awareness and protecting the public against cyber-enabled fraud and deceptive online activities.”
An Aero Contractors flight travelling from Lagos to Abuja on Saturday morning returned to its departure airport after the crew reported a technical issue while the aircraft was airborne.
The aircraft, which departed Lagos at about 7:30 a.m., had travelled part of the route mid air before the flight crew decided to discontinue the journey and return to Lagos as a precautionary safety measure.
Passengers were safely evacuated after the aircraft landed, and no injuries were reported.
A passenger aboard the flight told PREMIUM TIMES that the cabin became unusually hot while the aircraft was in the air, causing anxiety among passengers.
According to the passenger, the crew informed those on board that the aircraft had developed a technical problem and would return to Lagos but did not disclose the exact nature of the fault.
“There was a lot of panic because people did not know exactly what had happened. We were only told there was a technical problem and that we had to return to Lagos,” the passenger said.
As of 10:10 a.m., the affected passengers had begun boarding another Aero Contractors aircraft to continue their journey to Abuja, according to one of the passengers who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES.
PREMIUM TIMES contacted Aero Contractors for comments on the incident, including the nature of the reported technical issue, the reason for the aircraft’s return to Lagos and the arrangements made for affected passengers.
However, the airline had yet to respond as of the time this report was filed.
Recent incidents
Saturday’s occurrence comes about two months after a Max Air flight from Abuja to Katsina made an emergency return to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport shortly after take-off following a reported technical fault.
As previously reported by PREMIUM TIMES, passengers on the May 2026 flight recounted hearing loud banging sounds from the aircraft before it reportedly lost altitude briefly and struggled to stabilise, prompting the pilot to return to Abuja as a safety precaution. The aircraft landed safely, and no injuries were reported.
READ ALSO: Benin runway excursion not crash or emergency landing Enugu Air CEO
The Aero Contractors incident also comes amid increased public attention to airline operations following Thursday’s runway excursion involving an Enugu Air Embraer E170 at Benin Airport.
Although all 63 passengers and five crew members escaped unhurt, the occurrence disrupted flight operations after the runway was temporarily closed, forcing Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines to suspend flights to and from Benin while aircraft recovery and safety assessments were carried out.
While the circumstances surrounding the Aero Contractors, Max Air and Enugu Air incidents differ, they have renewed attention on operational reliability and safety across Nigeria’s aviation sector.
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