The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered a ₦7.7 billion cyber-enabled telecommunications fraud and arrested six suspects linked to the illegal diversion of airtime and data resources belonging to a telecom company.
The discovery was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin. He said the operation was carried out by the National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC) following a petition from the affected telecommunications company.
According to the police, the company reported suious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payments infrastructure. Investigations revealed that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, granting the perpetrators unlawful access to the company’s core systems. This access enabled the syndicate to divert airtime and data resources, resulting in an estimated financial loss exceeding ₦7.7 billion.
After weeks of intelligence gathering and planning, coordinated enforcement operations were conducted in October 2025 across Kano and Katsina states, with a follow-up arrest carried out 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, GSM and laptop retail outlets containing over 400 laptops and 1,000 mobile phones, as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle. The police said all the recovered assets were proceeds of the crime. Substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ bank accounts were also recovered.
The suspects are expected to be charged to court upon completion of investigations. Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the officers involved for their professionalism and reiterated the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s digital and financial ecosystems.
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I wonder if the suspects were acting alone or part of a larger network. Cyber fraud is getting more sophisticated these days.
This article raises questions about the effectiveness of cybersecurity measures. Are we doing enough to prevent such large-scale fraud?
Wow, this cyber fraud case is wild! Do you think the suspects will face appropriate consequences for their actions?
I find it troubling that cyber fraud is becoming more sophisticated. What can be done to prevent such large-scale scams?
Isnt it crazy how cyber fraudsters are getting more sophisticated? Scary to think how much money they can divert.
I cant believe the audacity of these cyber criminals! How did they manage to divert such a huge amount of airtime without getting caught earlier?
Do you think cyber fraud cases like this are just the tip of the iceberg? How deep does this rabbit hole go?