Angry Nigerians storm crypto firm office in Lagos, beat staff as executives disappear

• According to reports, angry consumers stormed the AAX Nigeria headquarters demanding their money while beaten-up staff watched helplessly

• AAX s a crypto corporation located in Hong Kong but has offices worldwide, including Nigeria

Atom Asset Exchange (AAX) a global fintech company, on Saturday, November 12, 2022, announced it would be suspending crypto withdrawals over massive withdrawals.

Some of its customers in Nigeria who have invested millions did not take the news lightly as it was further revealed that it is very unlikely for the exchange to open again.

In a desperate search for their funds, Nigerian customers stormed the AAX Lagos offices, demanding their money while beating up the staff available.

Reacting to the actions of AAX customers, the Stakeholders in the Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SIBAN) appealed against the assault of AAX staff by angry Nigerians.

The group called for patience in a statement signed by its president, Senator Ihenyen. The statement reads: *

“We appeal to and discourage any dissatisfied or angry user or investor from harassing or victimizing the AAX Country Manager (Nigeria), other local staff members, and AAX ambassadors nationwide.

“These persons are also facing the same situation as disgruntled users and investors are. At the time of writing this notice, we are aware that communication between these persons and AAX headquarters has been equally strained at this time. We therefore appeal for understanding and patience from all Nigerian AAX users.

AAX posted a message to customers on November 12 announcing suspended withdrawals. According to the company, this move is to avoid fraud and exploitation. The company said.: “AAX will continue our best efforts to resume regular operations for all users within 7-10 days to ensure the utmost accuracy.”

Today, Friday, 2 December 2022, makes it over two weeks since the promise, and no withdrawal is allowed.

FinancialTimes reports that users are looking for the exchange’s senior executives in an effort to recover their investment.

According to AAX users, the exchange has since failed to process customer withdrawals, and staff told the Financial Times they had been disconnected from the company’s email systems.