Police Uncover ₦7.7bn Telecom Scam, Arrest Six Suspects.

The police have uncovered a cyber-enabled telecommunications fraud valued at ₦7.7bn, leading to the arrest of six suspects accused of unlawfully diverting airtime and data belonging to a telecoms company.

The operation was carried out by the National Cybercrime Centre following a petition submitted by the affected firm, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin.

The company reported suspicious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payment systems. Investigations revealed that login credentials belonging to internal staff were compromised, giving the suspects illegal access to critical platforms. Hundeyin said the syndicate diverted large volumes of airtime and data, causing an estimated loss of more than ₦7.7bn.

After weeks of intelligence gathering and planning, coordinated enforcement actions were conducted in October 2025 across Kano and Katsina states, with an additional arrest later made in the Federal Capital Territory.

The suspects arrested were identified as Ahmad Bala, Karibu Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, and Masa’ud Sa’ad.

Items recovered during the operation included two residential buildings in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop sales outlets stocked with over 400 laptops and about 1,000 mobile phones, as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle. The police said the assets are believed to be proceeds of the alleged crime.

Authorities also traced and recovered significant sums of money from the suspects’ bank accounts, noting that the individuals would be charged to court once investigations are concluded.

Commending the officers involved, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, praised their professionalism and reaffirmed the police force’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s digital and financial systems.

He stated that the Nigeria Police Force, through the NPF–NCCC, remains resolute in dismantling cybercrime networks and ensuring that perpetrators are brought to justice, regardless of status or affiliation.