How Police Uncovered a N7.7bn Telecom Fraud Syndicate, Seized 400 Laptops, 1,000 Phones and Nabbed Six Suspects
Afnews Editor
Jan 29, 2026
A shocking cybercrime investigation has exposed a 7.7bn telecom fraud network in Nigeria. How police uncovered the syndicate and what they found will surprise you. Read full story now.
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A carefully coordinated cybercrime operation by the Nigeria Police Force has exposed a staggering 7.7 billion telecommunications fraud network, leading to the arrest of six suspects and the seizure of hundreds of digital devices allegedly used to divert airtime and data resources on a massive scale.
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The breakthrough came after a major telecommunications company petitioned the National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF-NCCC) over suspicious and unauthorised activities detected within its billing and payment systems.
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What investigators uncovered was not a routine breach, but a deeply embedded scheme involving compromised internal access and systematic exploitation of the company's core infrastructure.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Benjamin Hundeyin, investigations revealed that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, giving the syndicate unrestricted access to sensitive systems.
With this access, the fraudsters allegedly diverted huge volumes of airtime and data resources, rerouting them for personal gain while the telecom company absorbed the financial losses-now estimated at over 7.7 billion.
Police sources said the operation had been running quietly for months before the anomaly was detected, highlighting the growing sophistication of cyber-enabled financial crimes in Nigeria.
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Following months of digital forensics and intelligence tracking, the Police launched coordinated enforcement operations in October 2025 across Kano and Katsina States, with a follow-up arrest in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
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The operation led to the arrest of six suspects identified as:
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Ahmad Bala
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Karibu Mohammed Shehu
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Umar Habib
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Obinna Ananaba
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Ibrahim Shehu
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Masa'ud Sa'ad
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During the raids, investigators recovered an astonishing cache of digital and physical assets allegedly acquired from the fraud proceeds.
Items seized include:
Over 400 laptops
More than 1,000 mobile phones
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Two residential houses in Kano
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Two mini-plazas
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GSM and laptop retail outlets
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A Toyota RAV4 vehicle
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The police also traced large sums of money to the suspects' bank accounts, strengthening the case ahead of prosecution.
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ACP Hundeyin confirmed that the suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations, as the Police move to dismantle the entire network behind the fraud.
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Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the operatives for their professionalism, reaffirming the Force's commitment to protecting Nigeria's digital and financial ecosystems.
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He warned that cybercriminals, regardless of status or affiliation, would be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice.
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