The Nigeria Police Force–National Cybercrime Centre has arrested six suspects over an alleged N7.7 billion telecommunications fraud involving the illegal diversion of airtime and data resources.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
According to the police, the arrests followed weeks of coordinated investigations triggered by a petition from an unnamed Nigerian telecommunications company over suspicious activities in its billing systems.
The police said the operation led to the dismantling of what it described as a sophisticated cyber-enabled fraud syndicate, with multiple assets allegedly linked to the proceeds of the crime recovered across several states.
What they are saying
Police authorities said the alleged fraud involved unauthorised access to critical telecom infrastructure, resulting in significant financial losses for the affected company.
- They explained that compromised internal credentials were used to illegally divert airtime and data resources for criminal gain.
“The syndicate was responsible for the illegal diversion of a telecommunications company’s airtime and data resources, resulting in an estimated financial loss of over N7.7 billion.”
“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,” the statement partly reads.
- The police added that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations, while assets traced to the alleged fraud had been recovered.
More Insights
The Nigeria Police said the raids and arrests resulted in the recovery of several high-value assets allegedly acquired with proceeds from the crime.
These recoveries, according to the police, reflect the scale and coordination of the alleged fraud syndicate:
- Two residential houses located in Kano were recovered during the operation.
- Two mini-plazas, GSM shops, and laptop retail outlets containing over 400 laptops and about 1,000 mobile phones were seized.
- A Toyota RAV4 vehicle and substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ bank accounts were also recovered.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, commended the officers involved and reiterated the Force’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystems.
What you should know
The arrests come amid broader efforts by the Nigeria Police Force to clamp down on large-scale cybercrime and financial fraud across the country.
In a related development, the IGP had earlier informed the Federal High Court in Abuja of major recoveries linked to ongoing fraud investigations.
In 2025, police operatives reportedly recovered properties worth about N6 billion from suspected fraudsters.
The recoveries were linked to an alleged N21.4 billion fraud and money laundering scheme involving 2,039 bank accounts across 56 financial institutions.
The suspects were accused of using companies, enterprises, and associates to conceal ownership and the origin of illicit funds.
Nairametrics reported that the Force Intelligence Department disclosed these details during an ex parte motion hearing before Justice Obiora Egwatu, as investigations into the wider fraud continued.
