Nigerian Police Dismantle 5,049 Cybercrime Syndicates, Arrest 751 Suspects In 2024

In 2024, the Nigerian Police Cybercrime Centre dismantled 5,049 cybercrime syndicates, arrested 751 suspects, and recovered billions in funds while earning recognition as Africa’s Best Cybercrime Unit by INTERPOL.

In a significant move against cybercrime, the Nigerian Police Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) successfully dismantled 5,049 malicious domains, networks, and major cybercrime syndicates both within Nigeria and internationally in 2024.

The Centre reported achieving 14 convictions and recovering ₦8.821 billion, $115,237, and $84,000, which have been returned to the victims as restitution. Over 751 suspects linked to cybercrime threats were apprehended and prosecuted by the NPF-NCCC’s operatives, known as Cyber Hawks.

During their investigations, 685 devices were seized from cybercriminals, including 467 mobile phones, 137 laptops, 46 routers, four servers, one drone, and four Starlink devices. Additionally, authorities confiscated 16 houses, 39 plots of land, 14 land documents, and 26 vehicles tied to criminal activities.

A total of 508 cybercrime cases were reported, including incidents of sextortion and cyberstalking. The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, and the Director of NPF-NCCC, Ifeanyi Uche, revealed that INTERPOL honored the NPF-NCCC with the award for the Best Cybercrime Unit in Africa due to their outstanding efforts.

Regarding identity theft, business email compromise, and money laundering, the Force PRO disclosed that on December 20, 2024, the NPF-NCCC apprehended Douglass Victor, a key figure in a dark web-based cybercrime syndicate. The syndicate, led by Diepreye Samuel, targeted major corporations worldwide by compromising business emails to defraud companies and divert funds for personal use. Victor confessed to compromising customers’ email addresses and passwords, intercepting business communications, and rerouting funds to the syndicate’s accounts. Thousands of compromised email credentials were retrieved from his Skype account.

Additionally, another arrest was made involving Egbo Martins, a 26-year-old from Delta State, accused of opening and renting bank accounts for cybercriminals involved in a WhatsApp hacking syndicate.