ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) arrests six suspects over the alleged hacking of a telecommunications company’s systems, resulting in the diversion of airtime and mobile data valued at ₦7.7 billion.
In a statement on Wednesday, police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin says the suspects unlawfully accessed the company’s core billing infrastructure using compromised login credentials.
The suspects — Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu and Masa’ud Sa’ad — allegedly operate a coordinated syndicate responsible for large-scale digital fraud.
Police recovered two mini plazas, multiple retail outlets housing over 400 laptops, 1,000 mobile phones, and a Toyota vehicle during the operation. Investigators also trace a “substantial” amount of illicit funds to the suspects’ bank accounts.
Hundeyin says the arrests follow a petition by the affected telecommunications company, which reports suspicious and unauthorised activity within its payment systems.
Coordinated enforcement operations took place in Kano and Katsina states in October 2025, with a follow-up arrest in the Federal Capital Territory.
The suspects will be charged to court upon completion of investigations.
Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun commends the officers involved, praising their professionalism and commitment to combating cyber-enabled financial crimes.
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