Nigerian naira banknotes are seen in this picture illustration, September 10, 2018. Picture taken September 10, 2018. (File photo: CGTN)

Nigeria's central bank took 460 billion naira ($1.2 billion) from lenders as additional cash reserves for missing regulatory thresholds, Bloomberg reports quoting sources familiar with the matter.

The sources said accounts of about 25 commercial lenders held with the Central Bank of Nigeria were debited by the regulator on Thursday and Friday.

This follows a similar move in April, when the regulator took 1.47 trillion naira from almost 30 lenders for falling short of cash-reserve and loan-to-deposit ratios, people familiar with the matter said at the time.

The government is yet to respond to the reports.

The central bank in January increased the cash-reserve requirement to 27.5% from 22.5% to curtail excess liquidity in the banking sector, which it said could stoke inflation.

Last year it boosted the loan-to-deposit ratio 65% in a bid to accelerate lending.

Some analysts have said these are contradictory policies that are almost impossible to meet.