The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has recorded major breakthroughs in its fight against cybercrime, dismantling a cross-border fraud syndicate and arresting multiple suspects linked to high-profile financial scams.
The operations, carried out by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), were disclosed in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Okon Placid, on April 15, 2026, under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu.
According to the statement, the Force successfully apprehended a suspected fraudster, Agbor Martins Black-Diamond, who allegedly posed as a World Bank official to defraud foreign victims of $250,000 over a three-year period.
Investigators revealed that the suspect deceived representatives of a Kenyan NGO, the East Africa Sub-Sahara Africa Safe Promotion Foundation, into making repeated payments under the pretext of securing donor funding. Victims were reportedly convinced to pay “registration” and “administrative” fees, with no funding ever materializing.
Police findings showed that the suspect organized fake symposiums in Nigeria and South Africa to maintain the appearance of legitimacy. In 2024, he allegedly persuaded the victims to obtain a bank loan using family property as collateral to access a non-existent $850,000 empowerment fund in Ghana.
Financial analysis confirmed multiple inflows from the victims, including $57,975 between February and July 2023. The suspect was arrested on March 31, 2026. Investigators also uncovered that his foundation was unregistered in Nigeria, prompting him to register another entity, United African Continent Limited, in November 2024 to legitimize his operations.
Further investigations indicated he extended the scheme locally, collecting ₦50,000 from farmers in Kuje Area Council under the guise of empowerment programmes.
In a separate case, the NPF-NCCC arrested Chinedu Mbachu, a former employee of NewLife Ventures in Makurdi, over allegations of cyber fraud and unauthorized system manipulation. The suspect reportedly diverted company funds into personal accounts using cybersquatting tactics. Items recovered include a Samsung A6 Plus phone and NIN slips.
Additionally, police arrested two suspects, Ayodele Daramola and Dada Babatunde Oluwatobi, for their involvement in a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme that defrauded a company of ₦85 million.
Preliminary investigations revealed that between May and December 2025, Daramola, an employee in the investment booking unit, conspired with Babatunde to siphon company funds by exploiting internal systems. The funds were routed through Babatunde’s bank account, with 21 percent retained by him and 79 percent transferred to an account linked to Daramola.
Police further disclosed that approximately ₦61 million of the stolen funds was spent on online gambling platforms.
Recovered items include ₦4 million in cash, a Lexus ES350 (unserviceable), a Dell laptop, and an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The police said investigations are ongoing, with efforts underway to recover remaining funds and prosecute all suspects.
Reaffirming the Force’s commitment, IGP Disu stressed that Nigeria will not serve as a safe haven for cybercriminals, vowing that all perpetrators exploiting digital systems and international networks for fraud will be brought to justice.
