The Nigeria Police Force–National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC) has dismantled a sophisticated cyber-enabled fraud syndicate responsible for the illegal diversion of a telecommunications company’s airtime and data resources, resulting in an estimated financial loss of over ₦7.7 billion.
In a press statement, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the breakthrough followed a petition by a Nigerian telecommunications company that reported suspicious and unauthorized activities within its billing and payment infrastructure.
According to the statement, investigations revealed that login credentials belonging to internal staff had been compromised, granting cybercriminals unlawful access to core operational systems. This access was exploited to divert airtime and data resources on a massive scale.
After weeks of intelligence gathering and operational planning, coordinated enforcement actions were carried out in October 2025 across Kano and Katsina States, with a follow-up arrest later made in the Federal Capital Territory.
Six suspects were arrested during the operation: Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, and Masa’ud Sa’ad.
Items recovered include two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets housing over 400 laptops and about 1,000 mobile phones, as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle. Police said the recovered assets are believed to be proceeds of the crime. Substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ bank accounts were also recovered.
CSP Hundeyin noted that the suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, has commended the officers involved for their professionalism and dedication. He reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s unwavering commitment, through the NPF–NCCC, to protecting Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystems, dismantling cybercriminal networks, and ensuring that offenders are held accountable regardless of their status or affiliation.
