Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have arrested six suspects for allegedly hacking into a telecommunications company in Nigeria to divert airtime and mobile data valued at ₦7.7 billion.
Disclosing this in a statement on Wednesday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the suspects unlawfully gained access to the core systems of the telecommunications company.
Hundeyin identified the suspects as Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, and Masa’ud Sa’ad. He added that police operatives recovered two mini-plazas, several retail outlets containing over 400 laptops, 1,000 mobile phones, and a Toyota vehicle.
According to him, a “substantial” amount of money was also traced to the suspects’ bank accounts.
In a separate statement titled “Nigeria Police Uncovers ₦7.7 Billion Telecom Fraud, Arrests Six Suspects, Recovers Assets,” the Nigeria Police Force–National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC) said it had dismantled a sophisticated cyber-enabled fraud syndicate responsible for the illegal diversion of airtime and data resources belonging to a telecommunications company.
“The syndicate was responsible for the illegal diversion of a telecommunications company’s airtime and data resources, resulting in an estimated financial loss of over ₦7.7 billion,” the statement read.
“The breakthrough followed a petition by a Nigerian telecommunications company, which reported suspicious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payment infrastructure.
“Investigations revealed that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, granting the threat actors unlawful access to core systems.
“Following weeks of planning, coordinated enforcement operations were executed in October 2025 in Kano and Katsina states, with a follow-up arrest in the Federal Capital Territory.
“The suspects will be charged to court upon the completion of investigations.”
The statement added that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, commended the officers involved in the operation for their professionalism and dedication.
