The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has launched an investigation into an alleged data breach involving Remita Payment Services Limited, Sterling Bank, and other entities, as part of efforts to safeguard personal data and strengthen compliance within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, the commission said, in line with its procedures, a Notice of Investigation was duly served on April 1, 2026.
The agency noted that relevant parties and individuals have been providing information to support efforts to address the incident, adding that the investigation aims to ensure data subjects are adequately protected through appropriate technical and organisational measures.
“The investigation by NDPC covers, among others, the types of personal data involved, the nature and scope of the alleged breach, the risk to data subjects, and the mitigation measures taken where a breach is confirmed,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the chief executive of NDPC, Mr Vincent Olatunji, has directed that organisations using digital payment systems without implementing the required technical and organisational safeguards, as mandated under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, will also be examined.
The organisation said this forms part of a broader effort to ensure the integrity and security of Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem.
Data breaches have risen in the last few years, with a 2025 report from Surfshark, a cybersecurity firm, ranking Nigeria third in Sub-Saharan Africa for total breaches since 2004, with 23.2 million compromised accounts.
In September 2024, a hacker identified as Addka72424 released a dataset containing 3.3 billion email addresses, which included 2,555,642 Nigerian accounts. The hacker described it as a “small” experiment to show how much data is freely available online.
This latest development further exposes how cyberthreats continue to evolve, and attackers are constantly adapting their tactics.
The Nigerian government has now launched a national cyber coordination council towards tackling the rising threat.
