By Michael Eboh

The Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, yesterday, directed shareholders of the defunct Afribank Plc to go and claim their dividends.

In a statement in Abuja, Acting Director-General of SEC, Ms Mary Uduk, said this is part of its investor protection programme and as well as ensure that shareholders get the benefits of investing in the capital market.

She noted that SEC was making concrete efforts to ensure that investors get their dividends as this would reduce the number of unclaimed dividends in the market.

The floor of Stock exchange

She said, “We have informed shareholders of the defunct Afribank Plc that unclaimed dividends declared by the bank are being held in trust on their behalf. This will further help reduce the volume of unclaimed dividends in the market and boost investor confidence.

Stock market investments : SEC steps up action on investor protection(Opens in a new browser tab)

“Investors that have unclaimed dividends are therefore advised to contact Carnation Registrars to process their dividend payments.”

Uduk said the commission has also directed Carnation Registrars and Meristem Trustees to ensure that all genuine claims of beneficiary shareholders be addressed forthwith.

“Since the company is no longer in operation, these unclaimed dividends have to be made available to the rightful owners that are the shareholders. That will go a long way in boosting investor confidence in the market. That is why we are calling on them to take advantage of this opportunity and claim their dividends,” Uduk said.

The statement noted that SEC had also directed investors in the defunct Skye bank Plc to claim all outstanding dividends declared by the bank which were being held in trust on their behalf.

The SEC also at the time, directed Cardinalstone Registrars and STL Trustees to ensure that all genuine claims of beneficiary shareholders of Skye Bank were addressed forthwith.

These the SEC said were part of its investors’ protection programme to ensure that shareholders got the benefits of investing in the capital market.