Telecom Loses ₦7.7bn to Fraud, Six Suspects Arrested, the Nigeria Police Said

The Nigeria Police Force said that it has uncovered a large-scale cyber-enabled fraud syndicate targeting telecommunications. Recently, they diverted telecommunications airtime and data resources valued at more than ₦7.7 billion.

The National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF-NCCC) carried out the operation following a petition from a Nigerian telecommunications company. They raised the alarm over suspicious and unauthorized activities within its billing and payment systems.

According to police findings, the fraud was executed through the compromise of internal staff login credentials, which gave the perpetrators unlawful access to critical core systems of the telecom firm. The breach allowed the syndicate to carry out their scheme over an extended period, long before the irregularities were detected.

After weeks of intelligence gathering and operational planning, coordinated enforcement actions were carried out in October 2025, across Kano and Katsina states. A follow-up arrest was later made in the Federal Capital Territory.

Six suspects were arrested in connection with the scheme were Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu and Masa’ud Sa’ad.

The police said assets believed to be proceeds of the crime were recovered during the operation. These include two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets containing more than 400 laptops and 1,000 mobile phones. A Toyota RAV4 vehicle was also recovered.

Investigators also traced and recovered substantial sums of money from the suspects’ bank accounts. The suspects are expected to be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.

Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended officers of the NPF-NCCC. He described it as a professional and meticulous investigation. He reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to protecting the country’s digital and financial ecosystems, dismantling cybercriminal networks. More so, in ensuring that offenders are held accountable, regardless of their status or affiliations.

The statement was signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, and issued from Force Headquarters, Abuja, on January 28, 2026.