ABUJA – Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested six suspects for allegedly orchestrating one of the country’s largest cyber-enabled frauds, involving the illegal diversion of airtime and data valued at approximately ₦7.7 billion from a major telecommunications company.
In a statement on Wednesday, Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, identified the suspects as Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, and Masa’ud Sa’ad. They were arrested in coordinated operations across Kano, Katsina, and the Federal Capital Territory in October 2025.
The National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) uncovered the syndicate after a petition from the telecom company reported suspicious activities in its billing system. Investigations revealed that the hackers had compromised internal staff login credentials to gain unlawful access to the company’s core infrastructure.
Police operatives recovered extensive assets from the suspects, including two mini plazas, over 400 laptops, 1,000 mobile phones, a Toyota vehicle, and a substantial amount of money traced to their bank accounts. The recovered items were found in retail outlets used to monetize the stolen digital products.
Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, commended the officers for their professionalism. The suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation.
Read more on police operations: Police Sanction 10 Officers Over Social Media Violations
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Disclaimer: This report is based on an official police statement. The suspects are alleged to have committed the stated offences and are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
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