POLICE UNCOVER N7.7BN TELECOMS FRAUD, ARREST SIX SUSPECTS
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered a ₦7.7 billion cyber-enabled telecommunications fraud involving the illegal diversion of airtime and data resources, leading to the arrest of six suspects linked to the scheme.
The arrests followed an investigation by the Nigeria Police Force–National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC) after a telecommunications company petitioned the Police over suspicious and unauthorised activities detected within its billing and payment systems.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Benjamin Hundeyin, said investigations revealed that internal staff login credentials of the telecoms firm were compromised, granting unauthorised access to its core infrastructure.
According to the Police, the syndicate exploited the breach to divert airtime and data resources, resulting in an estimated financial loss exceeding ₦7.7 billion.
Hundeyin said coordinated enforcement operations were carried out in October 2025 across Kano and Katsina states, with a follow-up arrest made in the Federal Capital Territory.
He disclosed that six suspects — Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu and Masa’ud Sa’ad, were apprehended during the operation.
Items recovered from the suspects include two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets containing over 400 laptops and 1,000 mobile phones, as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle, all believed to be proceeds of the crime.
The Police also recovered significant sums of money traced to the suspects’ bank accounts. Hundeyin said the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the officers involved for their professionalism and diligence. He reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force, through the NPF–NCCC, to safeguarding Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystems, dismantling cybercrime networks and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice, regardless of status or affiliation.
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