The Nigeria Police Force has successfully dismantled a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate responsible for the massive diversion of airtime and data resources valued at over ₦7.7 billion from a major telecommunications provider.
In a statement released on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, revealed that the breakthrough was the result of a high-stakes investigation by the NPF-National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC).
The probe was initiated following a petition from a Nigerian telecom company that flagged unauthorised access to its billing and payment infrastructure. Investigators discovered that the syndicate had compromised the login credentials of internal staff, allowing them to bypass security and infiltrate core systems to siphon digital assets.
Following weeks of tactical planning, police units carried out coordinated raids across Kano and Katsina States in October 2025, with a final sting operation concluding in the Federal Capital Territory.
The operation led to the arrest of six suspects, identified as Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, and Masa’ud Sa’ad. The scale of the assets recovered during the arrests underscores the syndicate’s significant reach.
Authorities seized two residential houses and two mini-plazas in Kano, along with several retail outlets containing over 400 laptops and 1,000 mobile devices. Additionally, a Toyota RAV4 vehicle and substantial cash sums traced to the suspects’ bank accounts were recovered as proceeds of the crime.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, praised the NPF-NCCC for their professionalism in cracking the case. He emphasised that the Force remains committed to safeguarding Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystems and warned that cyber-criminals would be held accountable regardless of their affiliations.
The suspects are currently being processed and will be charged in court upon the conclusion of the investigation.
