The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has dismantled a sophisticated international fraud network involving impersonation, business email compromise (BEC), and large-scale financial deception, leading to multiple arrests.
According to Police Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Okon Placid, the operation marks a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to curb cyber-enabled financial crimes and protect both local and foreign economic interests.
In one major case, investigators arrested a suspect identified as Agbor Martins Black-Diamond, who allegedly posed as a World Bank official and representative of other international donor agencies. He is accused of defrauding two Kenyan nationals of about $250,000 over a three-year period by promising access to foreign funding that never existed.
Police reports indicate that the victims were repeatedly charged registration and administrative fees under the false promise of securing development grants. The suspect allegedly escalated the scheme in 2024 by convincing them to take loans secured with family property, claiming it would unlock an additional $850,000 empowerment fund in Ghana.
Investigations further revealed that he organised fake investment and empowerment symposiums in Nigeria and South Africa to lend credibility to the scheme. He was arrested on March 31, 2026.
Authorities also disclosed that his foundation was not registered in Nigeria, and that he later created another business entity in late 2024 in an attempt to legitimize his operations. The suspect is also alleged to have defrauded local farmers in Kuje Area Council by collecting money under false empowerment promises.
In a separate operation, the cybercrime centre arrested two suspects linked to a business email compromise scheme that led to the diversion of about ₦85 million from a corporate account. One of the suspects, an employee of the affected company, allegedly collaborated with an external accomplice to gain unauthorized access to internal systems and reroute funds.
Investigators said a significant portion of the stolen money—about ₦67.15 million—was traced to the insider suspect, with approximately ₦61 million reportedly spent on online betting platforms. Several items, including cash, a vehicle, a laptop, and a mobile phone, were recovered during the operation.
In another related case, police also arrested a former employee accused of manipulating company systems and diverting customer payments into personal accounts.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, reiterated that Nigeria would not serve as a safe haven for cybercriminals, assuring that all suspects involved in digital fraud will be tracked, prosecuted, and brought to justice.
Investigations into all the cases are ongoing.
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