The Nigeria Police Force, through the National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC), has uncovered and dismantled a sophisticated cyber-enabled fraud syndicate responsible for the illegal diversion of a telecommunications company’s airtime and data resources, resulting in losses estimated at over ₦7.7 billion.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, reveals that the breakthrough followed a petition by a Nigerian telecommunications company over suspicious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payment systems.
Investigations further revealed that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, allowing the syndicate unlawful access to critical core infrastructure.
Hundeyin said that after weeks of intelligence-led planning, coordinated enforcement operations were carried out in October 2025 across Kano and Katsina States, with a follow-up arrest in the Federal Capital Territory. Six suspects — Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu and Masa’ud Sa’ad — were arrested in connection with the fraud.
Assets recovered include two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets containing over 400 laptops and about 1,000 mobile phones, as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle. Substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ bank accounts were also recovered, all identified as proceeds of the crime. The suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Commending the operatives involved, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, praised their professionalism and diligence. He reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the Nigeria Police Force, through the NPF–NCCC, to protecting Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystems, dismantling cybercriminal networks and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice, regardless of status or affiliation.
