The Nigeria Police Force–National Cybercrime Centre has arrested six suspects in connection with an alleged N7.7 billion telecommunications fraud involving the illegal diversion of airtime and data resources.
The arrests were 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 operation followed weeks of coordinated investigations triggered by a petition from an unnamed Nigerian telecommunications company, which reported suspicious activities within its billing systems.
Police authorities said the operation led to the dismantling of what they described as a sophisticated, cyber-enabled fraud syndicate. Multiple assets allegedly linked to the proceeds of the crime were recovered across several states.
What the police are saying
The police explained that the alleged fraud involved unauthorised access to critical telecommunications infrastructure, leading to significant financial losses for the affected company.
They said compromised internal credentials were used to illegally divert airtime and data resources for criminal purposes.
“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,” the statement said.
It added that following weeks of planning, coordinated enforcement operations were carried out 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 police said.
The Force noted that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations. It also confirmed that assets traced to the alleged fraud had been recovered.
Assets recovered
The Nigeria Police said the raids resulted in the recovery of several high-value assets allegedly acquired with proceeds from the crime, highlighting the scale and coordination of the alleged syndicate.
According to the police, the items recovered include:
Two residential houses located in Kano.
Two mini-plazas, GSM shops, and laptop retail outlets containing over 400 laptops and about 1,000 mobile phones.
A Toyota RAV4 vehicle.
Substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ bank accounts.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, commended the officers involved in the operation 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 intensify its crackdown on large-scale cybercrime and financial fraud across the country.
In a related development, the Inspector-General of Police 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. These recoveries were linked to an alleged N21.4 billion fraud and money laundering scheme involving 2,039 bank accounts across 56 financial institutions.
According to disclosures made by the Force Intelligence Department during an ex parte motion hearing before Justice Obiora Egwatu, the suspects in that case were accused of using companies, enterprises, and associates to conceal ownership and the origin of illicit funds, as investigations into the wider fraud network continued.
Emmanuel Bassey is a Financial Expert that has worked in the Banking and Finance Industry for over 15+ years across different banks in Nigeria
