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Nigeria Police Arrest 6 Hackers Who Siphoned N7.7 Billion in Telco Airtime and Data
Nigeria Police arrest 6 hackers who siphoned airtime and data. In a big win against cybercrime, the Nigeria Police Force has arrested six suspects for hacking a Nigerian telecoms company. They stole airtime and mobile data worth over N7.7 billion. This shows how the police are fighting hard to protect Nigeria’s digital space.
Nigeria Police arrest 6 hackers who hacked Telco airtime and data. The arrests came after a telecom company reported strange activities in its billing and payments systems. Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the operation in a statement. He said it was done with the help of the National Cybercrime Centre, known as NPF-NCCC. Investigations showed the fraudsters got inside by stealing login details from company staff. This gave them access to the telecom’s main systems, where they diverted the airtime and data.
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Nigeria Police arrest 6 hackers who siphoned N7.7 billion in Telco. The police carried out raids in October 2025 in Kano and Katsina States. They made more arrests later in the Federal Capital Territory. The six suspects are Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, and Masa’ud Sa’ad. During the raids, officers seized many items linked to the crime. These include two houses in Kano, two small shopping plazas, and GSM and laptop shops. The shops had over 400 laptops and 1,000 mobile phones. Police also took a Toyota RAV4 vehicle. They recovered large amounts of money from the suspects’ bank accounts too.
All six men will face charges in court once the investigation ends. Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun praised the officers for their good work. He said the Nigeria Police Force, through the NCCC, will keep protecting the country’s digital and money systems. Cybercriminals will face justice for their bad actions.
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This arrest is part of a larger effort by the Nigerian Police Force to clamp down on cybercrime. The NPF-NCCC has been active against organized crime groups. Just last October, they got 59 foreign nationals convicted for a big international internet fraud ring. These people were doing high-level cyber offences like massive online scams and advanced hacking right here in Nigeria. This made the total convictions in that case reach 85. Earlier, 21 suspects were sentenced in August 2025, and five more in September 2025.
The NCCC started in July 2024. It is a modern facility built to stop cybercrime and catch digital fraudsters, often called Yahoo Boys. The police have improved the unit by restructuring it, adding new equipment, and sending skilled officers there. This helps them deliver better service and keep Nigeria’s online space safe.
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