3 Nigerians arrested in Kenya

Kenyan authorities have arrested three Nigerians in Mwaliko Estate, Mwea Town, over alleged involvement in cyber fraud.

According to a report by Tuko News, officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) picked up the suspects during a raid on Wednesday.

The men were identified as Peter Chukwujekwu, Alazor Chukulute Sunday, and Nnalue Chiagozie Samwe.

The report said the three were flushed out of their apartment after residents complained about suspicious late-night activities in the building.

The DCI confirmed the arrests, saying they were carried out during “a multi-agency raid targeting a cyber fraud ring.”

“Three Nigerian nationals nabbed in Kirinyaga multi-agency raid. A coordinated operation in Mwaliko Estate has exposed a suspected cyber fraud ring,” the agency said.

Investigators said the suspects claimed to be running an online business but were staying in Kenya illegally and had no valid work permits.

This arrest adds to a series of cases involving Nigerians detained abroad for offences such as cyber fraud, drug trafficking and human trafficking.

In June 2023, Kenyan police arrested 19 Nigerians in Nairobi for electronic fraud. The suspects, aged 19 to 33, allegedly used social media to trick Kenyans by posing as online vendors offering goods shipped from abroad.

“The fraudsters start by befriending victims on Facebook, then promise to send items through DHL. That is how they lure people into the scam,” the DCI said.