The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered a large-scale cyber-enabled telecommunications fraud valued at about ₦7.7 billion, leading to the arrest of six suspects accused of unlawfully diverting airtime and data assets belonging to a major telecom operator.
The arrests followed a coordinated intelligence-led operation conducted by the National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC) after reports of significant financial losses traced to the company’s digital infrastructure.
The case originated from a formal petition submitted by the affected telecommunications firm, which alerted law enforcement authorities to irregular and unauthorized transactions detected within its billing and payment systems. The complaint prompted the launch of a forensic and technical investigation aimed at identifying the source and scope of the breach.
Investigations by the police identified a syndicate allegedly made up of Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu and Masa’ud Sa’ad. The police estimated that the group’s activities resulted in losses exceeding ₦7.7 billion, arising from the illegal redirection and monetization of telecom airtime and data resources over an extended period.
According to police findings, the suspects were alleged to have “gained unlawful access to critical internal platforms through compromised staff login credentials, thereby manipulating core operational systems for fraudulent diversion of digital assets,” an act described as a serious violation of cybercrime and financial regulations.
Acting on the findings, the Nigeria Police Force executed coordinated enforcement operations across Kano and Katsina states in October 2025, with a subsequent arrest carried out in the Federal Capital Territory.
During the raids, officers recovered assets believed to be proceeds of the crime, including residential properties, commercial plazas, GSM and computer retail outlets stocked with hundreds of laptops and mobile phones, a sport utility vehicle, as well as substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ bank accounts.
Speaking on behalf of the Force, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, commended the officers involved for what he described as a thorough, professional and intelligence-driven investigation. He reaffirmed the commitment of the Police, through the NCCC, to protecting Nigeria’s digital economy and financial systems from criminal exploitation.
The Police Force also issued a caution to corporate organizations, service providers and system administrators, urging them to strengthen internal controls, safeguard access credentials and comply strictly with cybersecurity protocols to prevent insider compromise and external intrusion.
The Force stated that investigations are ongoing and that all recovered assets remain subject to legal processes. It added that the suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations, stressing that cybercrime offenders will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, regardless of status or affiliation.
