Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested six suspects over an alleged large-scale cyberattack on a telecommunications company, which reportedly led to the diversion of airtime and mobile data valued at about ₦7.7 billion.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, the suspects unlawfully accessed the core systems of the telecom provider and manipulated its billing and payment platforms for financial gain.

Those arrested were identified as Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu and Masa’ud Sa’ad.

Police investigations revealed that the operation was uncovered after the affected telecommunications company submitted a petition complaining of unusual and unauthorised activities within its internal systems. Further inquiries showed that login credentials belonging to company staff had been compromised, allowing the suspects access to sensitive infrastructure.

Hundeyin said coordinated enforcement operations were carried out in October 2025 across Kano and Katsina states, with an additional arrest later made in the Federal Capital Territory.

During the operations, police recovered two mini plazas and several retail outlets allegedly used by the suspects, as well as over 400 laptops, about 1,000 mobile phones and a Toyota vehicle. A substantial sum of money was also traced to the suspects’ bank accounts.

“The syndicate is believed to be responsible for the illegal diversion of a telecommunications company’s airtime and data resources, causing an estimated financial loss exceeding ₦7.7 billion,” the police spokesperson said.

He added that the suspects would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the officers involved in the operation for their professionalism and diligence in uncovering the cybercrime network.