By Editor Crime
Abuja, The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered a large-scale, cyber-enabled telecommunications fraud valued at over ₦7.7 billion, arresting six suspects and recovering high-value assets traced to the illicit operation.
The Force, through its National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC), said the fraud syndicate illegally diverted airtime and data resources belonging to a Nigerian telecommunications company by compromising internal billing and payment systems.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the breakthrough followed a formal petition by the affected telecom operator, which detected suspicious and unauthorised activities within its digital infrastructure.
Investigations revealed that the syndicate gained unlawful access to core systems after internal staff login credentials were compromised, enabling the diversion of telecom resources on a massive scale.
Following weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance, coordinated enforcement operations were carried out in October 2025 across Kano and Katsina States, with a subsequent arrest made in the Federal Capital Territory.
Six suspects were arrested during the operation. They were identified as Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu and Masa’ud Sa’ad.
Items recovered from the suspects include two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, multiple GSM and laptop retail outlets stocked with over 400 laptops and about 1,000 mobile phones, as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle. Police said all the assets were proceeds of the crime.
Substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ bank accounts were also recovered.
The police disclosed that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, has commended officers of the NPF–NCCC for what he described as professionalism and diligence in handling the case.
The IGP reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to protecting the nation’s digital and financial ecosystems, warning that cybercriminals would be relentlessly pursued and held accountable, irrespective of their status or affiliations.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in dismantling cybercrime networks and safeguarding critical national infrastructure,” the statement added.
