The Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, yesterday, has warned the investing public over the activities of Forsman & Bodenforms Limited, saying the firm is not registered to operate in the capital market or to solicit for funds from the public.

The SEC, disclosed this on its website, stressing that its attention has been drawn to the activities of Forsman & Bodenforms Limited, which has been promoting its services in the social media.

The commission said: “The attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission has been drawn to the activities of Forsman & Bodenfors Ltd also known as F&B, which is paraded by its promoters as the Nigerian Branch of a Swedish advertising company bearing that name with obvious criminal intent. The promoters of this fraudulent Nigerian entity go about promising Nigerians automatic employment in the company as compensation for recruiting more members who are lured to pay various sums of money for various positions in the company.”

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The commission noted that preliminary investigations reveal that Forsman & Bodenfors Ltd has been actively promoted on social media platforms and online forums, adding that its operations exhibit the typical indicators of a fraudulent (Ponzi) scheme.

“The Commission hereby informs the public that Forsman & Bodenfors Ltd is not registered by the Commission nor authorized to solicit funds from the public or to operate in any capacity in the Nigerian capital market.

“Accordingly, the public is advised to refrain from engaging with Forsman & Bodenfors Ltd or its representatives in respect of any business in the Nigerian capital market, as the potential risk of losing funds to the fraudulent promoters of the entity is very high.

“The investing public is further advised to verify the status of companies and entities offering investment opportunities on the Commission’s dedicated portal – http://www.sec.gov.ng/cmos, before transacting with them”.

The Naira experienced a slight depreciation on Friday at the official market, trading at N1,528.56 to the dollar.

Data obtained from the website of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that the Naira lost N2.73.

This represents a 0.17 percent loss compared to the N1,525.82 recorded on Thursday.

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The Naira, which opened the week on Monday with a gain of N9.52 against the dollar, held steady gains until Thursday.

On Wednesday, the local currency gained N3.42 against the dollar and received commendation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF, in its 2025 Article IV Consultation report on Nigeria, commended the CBN for its reforms to the foreign exchange market, which supported price discovery and liquidity.

Nigerians may soon pay more for petrol as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Friday increased its ex-depot price for Premium Motor Spirit to N880 per litre, raising fresh concerns over fuel affordability and price volatility in the downstream sector.

Checks on petroleumprice.ng, a platform tracking daily product prices, and a Pro Forma Invoice seen by The PUNCH confirmed the hike, representing a N55 increase from the previous rate of N825 per litre.

The increment would ripple across the entire fuel distribution chain, likely pushing pump prices above N900/litre in some parts of the country, especially in areas far from the distribution hubs.

The hike comes despite global crude prices falling. Brent crude dipped by 3.02% to $76.47, WTI fell to $74.93, and Murban dropped to $76.97 on Friday. The decline in benchmarks offers little relief due to persistent fears of sudden supply disruptions.

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The refinery has increased its reliance on imported U.S. crude and operational costs amid exchange rate instability, which adds to its pricing pressure.

On Thursday, the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said his 650,000-barrel capacity refinery is “increasingly” relying on the United States for crude oil.

This came as findings showed that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is projected to import a total of 17.65 million barrels of crude oil between April and July 2025, beginning with about 3.65 million barrels already delivered in the past two months, amid ongoing allocations under the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude policy.

Dangote informed the Technical Committee of the One-Stop Shop for the sale of crude and refined products in naira initiative that the refinery was still battling crude shortages, which had led it to resort to imports from the United States.

READ ALSO:Dangote Stops Petrol Sale In Naira, Gives Condition For Resumption

On Monday, the president of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Festus Osifo, accused oil marketers of exploiting Nigerians through inflated petrol prices, insisting that the current pump price of PMS should range between N700 and N750 per litre.

He criticised the disparity between falling global crude oil prices and the stagnant retail price of petrol in Nigeria.

“If you go online and check the PLAT cost per cubic metre of PMS, convert that to litres and then to our Naira, you will see that with crude at around $60 per barrel, petrol should be retailing between N700 and N750 per litre.”

He asserted that if Nigerians bear the brunt of higher fuel costs, they should be allowed to enjoy the benefit of low pricing.

His forecast of increased costs now appears spot on, considering the latest developments.

Marketers are already adjusting. Depot owners and fuel distributors in Lagos and other cities anticipate a domino effect, with new price bands expected to follow Dangote’s lead.

Many had held back pricing decisions since Tuesday, when the refinery halted sales and withheld fresh PFIs. The delay fueled speculation, allowing opportunistic price hikes across various depots.