By Deborah Nnamdi
The Nigeria Police Force, through the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), has recorded major breakthroughs in the investigation of a large-scale cybercrime syndicate accused of defrauding a telecommunications company of services valued at about ₦3.8 billion.
The development was disclosed on Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer of the NPF-NCCC, DSP Unwana Imah, who said investigations uncovered the involvement of both internal and external collaborators in the sophisticated fraud scheme.
According to Imah, the investigation commenced following a complaint from a leading telecommunications company regarding the compromise and unauthorised use of staff login credentials.
Preliminary findings revealed that between October 1 and November 28, 2024, the suspects unlawfully accessed the company’s network billing infrastructure and fraudulently generated airtime, which was subsequently converted into data bundles. The illegally obtained data bundles were then distributed and sold through a network of vendors across the country.
Imah said several suspects were arrested during the operation, while law enforcement officers recovered more than 400 laptops, 1,000 mobile phones, Point of Sale (POS) machines, cash exhibits, and other materials considered crucial to the investigation.
He added that the affected telecommunications company successfully reversed approximately 2,931.79 terabytes of fraudulently acquired data, estimated to be worth about ₦3.8 billion.
Further investigations exposed the role of insiders working alongside external collaborators to perpetrate the fraud.
As part of a second phase of operations conducted in May 2026, operatives of the NPF-NCCC acted on intelligence and carried out coordinated raids across Kano, Katsina, and Zamfara states, leading to the arrest of key suspects identified as Musa Muhammed Kwandi, Nura Sadauki, and Aminu Muhammed.
Other suspects arrested in connection with the case include Musa Hassan Mohammed, an IT specialist, Samson Alisigwe, and Yusuf Shehu, all of whom are alleged to have benefited from the proceeds of the criminal enterprise.
Through extensive financial investigations and asset-tracing efforts, police operatives recovered nearly ₦90 million in cash, two residential houses in Kano State, a mini-plaza, and a Toyota RAV4 vehicle believed to have been acquired with proceeds from the fraud.
The police said investigations remain ongoing to identify additional accomplices, trace more assets linked to the crime, and ensure that all those involved are brought to justice.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to safeguarding the nation’s critical digital infrastructure and intensifying efforts to combat cybercrime.
He also urged members of the public to provide useful information to support ongoing investigations through the reporting channels of the NPF-NCCC.
