The discovery followed a formal petition submitted by the telecommunications firm, which reported “suspicious and unauthorized activities” detected within its billing and payment infrastructure.
The Nigeria Police Force, through its National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC), has uncovered a large-scale cyber-enabled fraud syndicate that allegedly diverted airtime and data resources belonging to a Nigerian telecommunications company, causing an estimated financial loss of more than ₦7.7 billion.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
The discovery followed a formal petition submitted by the telecommunications firm, which reported “suspicious and unauthorized activities” detected within its billing and payment infrastructure.
According to police findings, investigations revealed that login credentials belonging to internal staff had been compromised, allowing the suspects to gain unlawful access to critical systems used for airtime and data management.
Police sources said the illegal access enabled the syndicate to divert large volumes of telecom resources over an extended period, translating into significant financial losses for the company.
After weeks of intelligence gathering and operational planning, coordinated enforcement actions were carried out in October 2025 across Kano and Katsina states, with a follow-up arrest later conducted in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The operations 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.
During the raids, law enforcement officers recovered several assets believed to be proceeds of the alleged crime.
These include two residential houses located in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets containing over 400 laptops and about 1,000 mobile phones, as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle. Police also confirmed that “substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ bank accounts” were recovered as part of the investigation.
The police said the suspects would be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Reacting to the breakthrough, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended officers of the National Cybercrime Centre for what he described as their “professionalism, diligence, and commitment” in unraveling the complex fraud scheme.
The IGP reiterated the determination of the Nigeria Police Force to protect the country’s digital and financial infrastructure, noting that cybercrime poses an increasing threat to national economic stability.
He stressed that the NPF–NCCC remains fully committed to “dismantling cybercriminal networks and ensuring that offenders are held accountable, regardless of their position or affiliation.”
The police said the operation underscores ongoing efforts to strengthen cybersecurity enforcement and signals a renewed push against cyber-enabled financial crimes across the country.