The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has arrested six people for their alleged involvement in N7.7 billion telecommunication fraud, according to its National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC).
This statement was made by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, in Abuja on Wednesday, linking the arrests to official police findings.
He stated that the suspects illegally diverted a telecommunications company’s airtime and data resources, causing an estimated financial loss of over ₦7.7 billion.
The suspects’ arrest followed a petition from a Nigerian telecommunications company reporting suspicious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payments infrastructure, which directly prompted police action.
Investigations thereafter revealed that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, allowing the suspects unlawful access to core systems, furthering the concerns cited in the company’s petition.
Following weeks of planning, coordinated enforcement operations were executed in October 2025 in Kano State and Katsina, with a follow-up arrest in the Federal Capital Territory.
“The operation led to the arrest of six suspects, recovery of two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM, and laptop retail outlets.
“The retail outlets contained over 400 laptops, 1,000 mobile phones, and a Toyota RAV4 vehicle, all of which are suspected to have been acquired with illegally obtained funds,” he said.
According to him, substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ accounts were also recovered.
He said the suspects would be charged in court upon completion of the investigation.
Hundeyin said the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Kayode Egbetokun, commended the officers involved in the investigation for their professionalism.
He said the I-G pledged the force’s resolve, through the NPF–NCCC, to safeguard Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystems, dismantle cybercriminal networks, and ensure that offenders are held accountable.