Police arrest suspects over N7.7 billion telecom data fraud, recover houses, cash and vehicles.

The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has dismantled a major telecommunications fraud syndicate responsible for compromising a leading telecom company’s billing infrastructure to illegally generate airtime and data resources valued at over ₦7.7 billion.

Between October 1 and November 28, 2024, the syndicate used compromised internal staff login credentials to gain unauthorized access to a major network’s billing systems.

The suspects fraudulently generated airtime, converted it into massive data bundles, and distributed them nationwide through a network of illicit vendors.

Following the discovery, the telecom provider managed to reverse approximately 2,931.79 terabytes of the stolen data, saving roughly ₦3.8 billion. The investigation, which began with operations in late 2025 and extended into mid-2026, revealed a complex network of internal and external collaborators. Multiple suspects have been arrested across two major phases.

The suspects include: Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, Masa’ud Sa’ad, Musa Muhammed Kwandi, Nura Sadauki, Aminu Muhammed, Musa Hassan Mohammed (an IT specialist), Samson Alisigwe, and Yusuf Shehu.

The Inspector-General of Police commended the NPF-NCCC for safeguarding Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, confirming that all suspects will be prosecuted upon the final conclusion of investigations.