Police say they have uncovered a ₦7.7bn cyber-enabled telecommunications fraud, arresting six people accused of illegally diverting airtime and data belonging to a major telecoms company.
The operation was carried out by the National Cybercrime Centre following a petition from the affected firm, which had reported “suspicious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payments infrastructure”, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the force public relations officer, Benjamin Hundeyin.
Investigators found that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, giving the perpetrators unlawful access to the company’s core systems. Police allege that the breach enabled a syndicate to divert airtime and data on a large scale, causing losses estimated at more than ₦7.7bn.
“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 ₦7.7bn,” Hundeyin said.
After weeks of planning, coordinated enforcement operations were carried out in October 2025 in Kano and Katsina states, with a follow-up arrest later made in the federal capital, Abuja. Six suspects were detained: Ahmad Bala, Karibu Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu and Masa’ud Sa’ad.
Police said assets believed to be proceeds of the alleged fraud were recovered, including two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets stocked with more than 400 laptops and 1,000 mobile phones, as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle. Substantial sums of money were also traced to accounts linked to the suspects.
Investigations are continuing, with the police saying the suspects will be charged to court once inquiries are concluded.
The inspector general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, praised the officers involved in the operation and reiterated the force’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s digital and financial systems. “The Nigeria Police Force, through the NPF–NCCC, is unwavering in its resolve to dismantle cybercriminal networks and ensure that offenders are held accountable regardless of position or affiliation,” he said.
