Police uncover N7.7bn telecom fraud, arrest six suspects
By: Zagazola Makama
The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered and dismantled a cyber-enabled fraud syndicate responsible for the illegal diversion of a telecommunications company’s airtime and data resources, with an estimated financial loss of over N7.7 billion.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a statement made available on Wednesday.
According to Hundeyin, the fraud was uncovered by the National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC) following a petition by a Nigerian telecommunications company over suspicious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payments infrastructure.
“Investigations revealed that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, granting threat actors unlawful access to the company’s core systems,” he said.
He explained that after weeks of surveillance and planning, coordinated enforcement operations were carried out in October 2025 in Kano and Katsina states, with a follow-up arrest in the Federal Capital Territory.
“The operations led to the arrest of six suspects, namely Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu and Masa’ud Sa’ad,” Hundeyin said.
He added that assets recovered from the suspects included two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets containing over 400 laptops, about 1,000 mobile phones and a Toyota RAV4 vehicle, all believed to be proceeds of the crime.
“Substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ accounts were also recovered.
“The suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation,” he said.
Hundeyin noted that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, had commended the officers involved in the investigation for their professionalism and dedication.
“The IGP reiterated the unwavering resolve of the Nigeria Police Force, through the NPF–NCCC, to safeguard Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystems, dismantle cyber-criminal networks and ensure that offenders are held accountable, regardless of position or affiliation,” he said.
