The police have uncovered a massive cyber-enabled telecommunications fraud involving the illegal diversion of airtime and mobile data worth N7.7 billion.
No fewer than six suspects have been arrested related to the incident, a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin.
Hundeyin said the police recovered assets including two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets stocked with over 400 laptops and 1,000 mobile phones, as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle, allegedly acquired from proceeds of the crime.
He said operatives of the National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC) swung into action following a petition from the affected telecommunications company.
He said the telecom company had reported suspicious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payment systems.
According to the police, investigations revealed that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, granting the suspects unlawful access to the company’s core systems and enabling large-scale diversion of airtime and data resources.
Hundeyin said the fraud syndicate’s activities resulted in an estimated financial loss exceeding N7.7 billion.
Following weeks of intelligence-driven surveillance and planning, the police carried out coordinated operations in October 2025 across Kano and Katsina states, with a follow-up arrest later made in the Federal Capital Territory.
Six suspects were arrested during the operations. They were identified as Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu and Masa’ud Sa’ad.
The police said assets recovered from the suspects include two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets stocked with over 400 laptops and 1,000 mobile phones, as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle, all allegedly acquired from proceeds of the crime.
“Substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ bank accounts were also recovered,” the statement said, adding that the suspects would be charged to court upon completion of investigations.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the officers involved in the operation for their professionalism and diligence.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the NPF, through the NCCC, to protecting Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystems, dismantling cybercrime networks and ensuring that offenders are held accountable, regardless of status or affiliation.
