The Nigeria Police Force arrested 82 individuals in January 2025 for a range of financial and cyber-related crimes, including internet fraud, romance scams, identity theft, cryptocurrency fraud, transnational fraud, and other cyber offences.
Police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi in a statement on Thursday said the operation was spearheaded by the National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC), which successfully apprehended 32 of the suspects across the country.
He added that the crackdown underscored the police’s commitment, under the leadership of IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to its Action Plan aimed at redeeming the nation’s reputation and moving it off the FATF Grey List.
Adejobi said police paraded several suspects linked to multi-million dollar fraud schemes that have defrauded individuals and organizations both in Nigeria and abroad.
According to him, among the arrested were Saidu Adam Usman and Yusuf Umar, who were involved in creating and distributing compromised financial accounts used in fraudulent transactions amounting to over ₦400 million.
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He said the suspects used pre-registered SIM cards and email addresses to create Moniepoint profiles, which were then distributed to local accomplices for Know Your Customer (KYC) verification.
“They fraudulently obtained Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) and KYC details from unsuspecting individuals. Once the process was completed, the suspects would change the passwords to secure the accounts for their unknown foreign contractors.
“Another significant arrest involved Rabiu Aliyu Salisu, also known as Rabo, who was linked to identity theft, computer fraud, and money laundering. Salisu had fraudulently assumed the identity of an American citizen, Matthew Ramsey, and defrauded an American national, Deborah Woods, of $597,000.”
Adejobi noted that in addition, the police secured the arrest of Idowu Smart Emmanuel, who was involved in criminal defamation, cyberstalking, and cyberbullying. Emmanuel confessed that the allegations he had made were false, following a filed petition.
He said the police have issued a stern warning against the misuse of social media for crimes such as fraud, defamation, and cyberstalking.
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Adejobi said police remain committed to rooting out cybercriminals and syndicates, ensuring that those involved in such crimes face the full force of the law.
He urged the public to exercise caution when engaging in online transactions and ensure thorough verification of operators before committing to large financial dealings.
