The National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC) of the Nigeria police has uncovered and dismantled a sophisticated cyber-enabled fraud syndicate.
The syndicate, according to Force Public Relations officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin,
was responsible for the illegal diversion of a telecommunications company’s airtime and data resources, resulting in an estimated financial loss of over ₦7.7 billion.
The statement said the breakthrough followed a petition by a Nigerian telecommunications company, which reported suspicious and unauthorized activities within its billing and payments infrastructure.
Police investigations revealed that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, granting threat actors unlawful access to core systems.
Following weeks of planning, coordinated enforcement operations were executed in October 2025 in Kano and Katsina States, with a follow-up arrest in the Federal Capital Territory.
The operation led to the arrest of six suspects: Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, and Masa’ud Sa’ad.
Recovered items during the arrest include two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets containing over 400 laptops, 1,000 mobile as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle – all proceeds of the crime. Substantial sums of money traced to the suspects accounts were also recovered.
The statement said the suspects would be charged to court on the completion of the investigation.
Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the officers involved in the investigation for their professionalism.
He reaffirmed the unwavering resolve of the Nigeria Police Force, through the NPF–NCCC, to safeguard Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystems, dismantle cyber-criminal networks, and ensure that offenders are held accountable regardless of position or affiliation.
