Police nab six suspects over alleged N7.7bn telecom airtime hack, recover over 400 laptops, 1000 mobile phones

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have arrested six individuals for allegedly hacking into a Nigerian telecommunication company and diverting airtime and mobile data valued at N7.7 billion.

The force spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, stated on Wednesday that the suspects are accused of gaining illegal access to the company’s core systems.

The suspects are Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, and Masa’ud Sa’ad.

Hundeyin said operatives recovered two mini plazas, retail outlets containing over 400 laptops, 1,000 mobile phones, and a Toyota vehicle.

The force spokesperson said a “substantial” amount of money was traced to the suspects’ bank accounts.

“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 reads.

“The breakthrough followed a petition by a Nigerian telecommunications company, which reported suspicious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payments infrastructure.

“Investigations revealed that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, granting 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 would be charged to court on the completion of the investigation.

“Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, has commended the officers involved in the investigation for their professionalism.”

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