The Nigeria Police Force has recorded major breakthroughs in cybercrime investigations, dismantling a cross-border fraud syndicate, arresting a fake World Bank official, and apprehending two suspects linked to a ₦85 million business email compromise (BEC) scheme.
The operations were carried out by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, as part of efforts to curb financial crimes and safeguard Nigeria’s digital economy.
In a major intelligence-led operation, the NPF-NCCC dismantled a sophisticated fraud network involving one Agbor Martins Black-Diamond, who allegedly posed as an official of the World Bank and other United States-based donor agencies.
Investigations revealed that the suspect defrauded Kenyan victims, including Julius Kithome and Cynthia Kithome, of $250,000 over a three-year period under the pretext of facilitating access to donor funding. The funds, reportedly paid as registration and administrative fees, yielded no returns.
Police said the suspect organised fraudulent symposiums in Nigeria and South Africa to sustain the scheme and, in 2024, further persuaded victims to obtain a bank loan using family property to access a fictitious $850,000 empowerment fund in Ghana.
The suspect was arrested on March 31, 2026. Investigations also revealed that his organisation, Black Diamond African Beauty Restoration Foundation, was not registered in Nigeria, prompting him to later register another entity, United African Continent Limited, to legitimise his activities. He was also accused of defrauding local farmers in Kuje Area Council of ₦50,000 each under the guise of empowerment programmes.
In a separate case, the police arrested Chinedu Mbachu, a former employee of NewLife Ventures Makurdi, over allegations of unauthorised system modification, cybersquatting, and diversion of company funds. The arrest followed a petition filed on behalf of Emmanuel Enwelu.
Police said the suspect diverted customer payments into personal accounts. Recovered items included a Samsung A6 Plus mobile phone and National Identification Number (NIN) slips.
In another operation, the NPF-NCCC arrested two suspects—Ayodele Daramola and Dada Babatunde Oluwatobi—over alleged involvement in criminal conspiracy, data breach, fraud, and money laundering.
Preliminary findings showed that between May and December 2025, Daramola, an employee in charge of investment booking, collaborated with Oluwatobi to siphon ₦85 million from a company by exploiting internal systems and diverting funds through bank accounts.
Police disclosed that 21 per cent of the proceeds, amounting to ₦17.85 million, was retained by Oluwatobi, while ₦67.15 million was transferred to an account linked to Daramola. Further investigations revealed that about ₦61 million was spent on online gambling platforms.
Recovered items from the suspects include ₦4 million in cash, an unserviceable Lexus ES350, a Dell laptop, and an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The Force said investigations are ongoing, with efforts underway to recover the remaining funds and prosecute all those involved.
Reaffirming the Force’s stance, IGP Disu stated that Nigeria would not serve as a safe haven for cybercriminals, adding that the police remain committed to protecting the country’s digital and financial ecosystem while ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice.
