January 28, (THEWILL) — The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC) has successfully dismantled a high-profile cyber-enabled fraud syndicate responsible for diverting airtime and data resources worth an estimated ₦7.7 billion from a major telecommunications company.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, stating that the operation followed a petition from a Nigerian telecoms operator.
The company had flagged unauthorized access to its billing and payments infrastructure, which investigations later traced to compromised internal staff login credentials.
Following weeks of intelligence-led operations, six suspects were taken into custody during coordinated raids in Kano, Katsina, and the Federal Capital Territory.
The suspects have been identified as Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, and Masa’ud Sa’ad.
The police recovered a massive haul of assets believed to be proceeds of the crime, including two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, and retail outlets stocked with over 400 laptops and approximately 1,000 mobile phones.
A Toyota RAV4 vehicle was also seized, along with substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ various bank accounts.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the NPF–NCCC for their technical precision in cracking the case.
He reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s digital economy and warned that the police would continue to leverage advanced technology to track and prosecute cybercriminals.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
