How Washima Tuleun is Exposing Cryptocurrency Driven Crime

By Salami Adeyinka

In the heart of Nigeria’s digital revolution, Washima Tuleun stands at the crossroads of technology and justice. A rising voice in digital forensics and cybersecurity, Tuleun is redefining how Nigeria understands the promises and perils of cryptocurrency, decoding how crypto currencies are transforming and at times threatening the Nigeria’s digital landscape. His peer reviewed study, “Cryptocurrency and Cybercrime in Nigeria: A Double-Edged Sword,” published in the Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Advances (GJETA, 2021, Vol. 8, Issue 2), sheds light on the intricate web linking digital finance, cybersecurity, innovation, and organized cybercrime.

In his research indexed internationally and available under DOI 10.30574/gjeta.2021.8.2.0120, Tuleun presents a sobering reality; while crypto currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum empower millions of Nigerians through financial inclusion and cross border remittances, they also enable cybercriminal networks to thrive in anonymity. His work explores how crypto currency’s decentralised design once hailed as a tool for freedom is fast potentially evolving into a mechanism for ransomware, fraud, and money laundering in Nigeria’s fast growing digital economy. According to data referenced in his study from Chainalysis and Statista, Nigeria ranks among the top ten nations worldwide in cryptocurrency adoption, a position that mirrors both the promise and peril of its digital economy.

“Nigeria’s challenge is not technology itself,” Tuleun noted in his paper, “but how we balance innovation with responsibility. The same tools that empower our youth can also empower our cybercriminals.”

Through multiple documented case studies, Tuleun traces how blockchain anonymity complicates investigations into crypto related scams. His research chronicles incidents such as the MMM Global Ponzi scheme, which defrauded millions between 2015 and 2016 using Bitcoin as an untraceable payment medium, and more recent ransomware attacks that targeted logistics and finance firms in 2021. He also references reports of phishing campaigns and social media based crypto investment frauds that siphoned hundreds of millions of naira from unsuspecting users, all highlighting the systemic gaps in Nigeria’s cyber defence framework.

“Washima Tuleun’s analysis connects the dots between Nigeria’s digital transformation and its emerging vulnerabilities,” said Mr. Ugwu, Chief Technology Officer of BOU Engineering Limited. “His research is one of the most comprehensive mappings of crypto enabled crime in Africa to date.”

Tuleun’s study goes beyond diagnosis, it offers a roadmap for reform and adopts an exploratory qualitative design, combining literature synthesis, statistical modelling, and comparative analysis with international best practices. He evaluated seven major case studies, including EFCC’s Operation Eagle Claw (2022), which recovered N1.5 billion in stolen crypto and benchmarked Nigeria’s regulatory environment against that of the United States, South Korea, and the European Union.

His recommendations urge Nigeria to harmonise financial and cybersecurity regulations, strengthen law enforcement capacity in blockchain forensics, and promote international collaboration with bodies like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). He also advocates for public private partnerships that unite tech innovators, regulators, and law enforcement to secure Nigeria’s digital frontier.

“Technology evolves faster than policy,” Tuleun writes. “To keep pace, we must merge innovation with security frameworks.”

Beyond the technical, Tuleun’s research delves into the ethical and social consequences of crypto currency’s rise. He argues that while blockchain can democratise finance, unregulated adoption may deepen inequality and erode public trust. Victims of crypto related scams often suffer severe psychological distress, he observes, while communities without digital literacy remain shut out of opportunities.
“The decentralised nature of crypto currencies is a double edged sword,” Tuleun writes. “It empowers individuals yet simultaneously enables criminals to act without accountability.”

He warned that the erosion of public confidence especially after high profile scams like MMM or Loom Money could slow Nigeria’s digital economy. “If citizens associate every blockchain project with fraud,” he cautions, “we risk alienating the very people this technology was meant to uplift.”

His work has gained academic recognition for bridging the gap between technology research and public policy. The Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Advances, where his study appeared, is an international, peer reviewed outlet indexed in major research databases, ensuring broad scholarly visibility.

As Nigeria moves toward a cash light economy, Tuleun’s insights are becoming increasingly relevant. Policymakers and researchers now cite his framework as part of a growing call to integrate cybersecurity safeguards into financial innovation. His message is clear: economic modernization must go hand in hand with digital responsibility.

“Every byte leaves a footprint,” Tuleun reminds us. “Our collective task is to ensure those footprints lead toward progress, not peril.”

Through rigorous research and clear eyed analysis, Tuleun continues to illuminate Nigeria’s cyber frontlines, showing how evidence based policy and technology can together build a safer digital future.