Nigeria Police arrests 6 for hacking telco and diverting N7.7bn in airtime and data

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has arrested six suspects for allegedly hacking an unnamed Nigerian telecoms company, resulting in the diversion of airtime and mobile data worth over N7.7 billion.

The arrests were confirmed in a statement by Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesperson. Mr Hundeyin noted that the operation was orchestrated in conjunction with the National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC).

According to him, the clampdown followed a petition by a Nigerian telecoms company, which reported suspicious activities within its billing and payments infrastructure. Further investigation revealed that the fraudsters had compromised internal staff login credentials, granting them unlawful access to core systems.

He added that coordinated operations were executed in October 2025 in Kano and Katsina States, and a follow-up arrest in the Federal Capital Territory. The clampdown resulted in the arrest of six suspects: Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, and Masa’ud Sa’ad. 

During the operation, the NPF recovered items and structures which were used in carrying out the action against the telecoms company. This includes two residential houses in Kano, two mini-plazas, GSM and laptop retail outlets containing over 400 laptops, 1,000 mobile phones, as well as a Toyota RAV4 vehicle.

The statement also noted that substantial sums of money traced to the suspects’ accounts were also recovered. Following their arrests, all six suspects would be charged in court upon the completion of the investigation.

In light of the arrest, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, commended the officers involved in the investigation for their professionalism. 

He also noted that the NPF, through the NCCC, is committed to safeguarding Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystems and ensuring that cybercrime offenders are held accountable for their unlawful activities.

Also Read: EFCC files ₦4.3bn forex fraud charges against UBA and others.

Nigerian Police Force clampdown on cybercrime

The Nigerian Police Force, through the NCCC, has carried out a sustained crackdown on organised cybercriminal networks.

In October, the NPF-NCCC secured the conviction of 59 foreign nationals involved in a major international internet fraud syndicate operating within the country. The suspects were linked to high-level cyber offences, including large-scale internet fraud and sophisticated hacking operations.

The convictions brought the total number of convicted suspects in the case to 85. The development follows the earlier sentencing of 21 accused persons in August 2025 and another five in September 2025.

The NCCC, inaugurated in July 2024, is described as an ultra-modern state-of-the-art facility, aimed at preventing cybercrime and designed to tackle digital fraudsters popularly known as Yahoo Boys.

The Nigeria Police noted that it has restructured, upgraded, equipped and deployed experienced personnel to the cybercrime unit for effective service delivery as part of the upgrading aimed at ensuring the safety of cyberspace.

The post Nigeria Police arrests 6 for hacking telco and diverting N7.7bn in airtime and data first appeared on Technext.