Nigeria Police Crack N7.7bn Cyber Fraud Syndicate in Kano, Katsina, FCT
The Nigeria Police Force has dismantled a cyber-enabled telecommunications fraud syndicate responsible for financial losses estimated at over ₦7.7 billion, following coordinated operations in Kano State, Katsina State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The breakthrough came after a telecommunications company reported suspicious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payment systems.
Acting on the complaint, the National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF–NCCC) launched an extensive investigation, which uncovered a sophisticated scheme used to illegally divert airtime and data resources.
According to police sources, the suspects exploited vulnerabilities in the company’s systems to carry out the large-scale fraud, resulting in losses exceeding ₦7.7 billion.
A series of coordinated enforcement operations conducted in October 2025 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 police said investigations are ongoing to determine the full scope of the syndicate’s operations and to identify other possible collaborators. The suspects are expected to be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
