The Nigeria Police Force, through its National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC), has uncovered and dismantled a sophisticated cyber-enabled fraud syndicate responsible for the illegal diversion of a telecommunications company’s airtime and data resources, resulting in an estimated loss of over ₦7.7 billion.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development, describing the operation as a major step in the ongoing fight against cybercrime in Nigeria.
He said the discovery followed a petition by a Nigerian telecommunications firm, which reported suspicious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payments infrastructure. Police investigations revealed that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, allowing the perpetrators unlawful access to critical core systems.
After weeks of intelligence gathering and planning, coordinated enforcement operations were carried out in October 2025 across Kano and Katsina states, with a follow-up arrest in the Federal Capital Territory. The operations led to the arrest of six suspects identified as Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu and Masa’ud Sa’ad.
Items recovered during the operations include two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets containing over 400 laptops and about 1,000 mobile phones, as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle, all believed to be proceeds of the crime. Police also traced and recovered substantial sums of money from the suspects’ bank accounts.
The suspects are expected to be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has commended the officers involved for their professionalism and diligence. He reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force, through the NPF–NCCC, to protecting the country’s digital and financial ecosystems, dismantling cybercriminal networks and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice, regardless of their status or affiliation.
