Police smashes ₦7.7bn Telecom Fraud Syndicate, arrest six, recover assets

The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered a large-scale cyber-enabled fraud involving the illegal diversion of telecommunications airtime and data resources, with estimated losses put at over ₦7.7 billion, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, has said.

Hundeyin stated that the breakthrough was recorded by operatives of the National Cybercrime Centre following a petition from a Nigerian telecommunications company which reported suspicious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payment systems.

He explained that investigations revealed that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, granting threat actors unlawful access to the company’s core systems and enabling the large-scale diversion of airtime and data resources.

According to Hundeyin, weeks of intelligence gathering and operational planning led to coordinated enforcement actions carried out in October 2025 across Kano and Katsina States, with a follow-up arrest later made in the Federal Capital Territory.

He said the operations resulted in the arrest of six suspects identified as Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, and Masa’ud Sa’ad.

Hundeyin disclosed that items recovered from the suspects include two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets containing over 400 laptops, about 1,000 mobile phones, and a Toyota RAV4 vehicle, all believed to be proceeds of the crime.

He added that substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ bank accounts were also recovered.

He stated that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

Hundeyin further said that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has commended the officers involved for their professionalism and diligence, reiterating the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to safeguarding Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystems.

He noted that the Force remains resolute in dismantling cybercriminal networks and ensuring that offenders are held accountable, regardless of their position or affiliation.