Police Secure Conviction Of Additional 59 Foreign Nationals Involved In Major Internet Fraud Syndicate In Nigeria

Police Secure Conviction Of Additional 59 Foreign Nationals Involved In Major Internet Fraud Syndicate In Nigeria

In furtherance of the Nigeria Police Force’s sustained efforts in combating all forms of cybercrimes and safeguarding national security, the Nigeria Police Force through its National Cybercrime Centre has recorded another milestone with the conviction of an additional fifty-nine (59) foreign nationals, in continuation of the prosecution of members of a high-profile international cybercrime syndicate uncovered in Abuja in November 2024.

On Saturday, 3rd November 2024, acting on credible and actionable intelligence, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center, carried out a well-coordinated cyber-operation on a building located in Jahi, Abuja. The operation, which formed part of a broader national cybercrime crackdown, led to the arrest of one-hunded and thirty (130) suspects, comprising one-hundred and thirteen (113) foreign nationals of Chinese and Malaysian origin and seventeen (17) Nigerians. These individuals were implicated in various cyber offences, including large-scale internet fraud, sophisticated hacking operations, and other cyber criminal activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s national cybersecurity.

Following meticulous investigations and the presentation of robust digital forensic evidence in court, twenty-one (21) of the accused persons were earlier convicted and sentenced on 1st August 2025, while an additional five (5) were convicted in September 2025. With the most recent conviction of fifty-nine (59) others, the total number of convicted suspects now stands at eighty (85), as prosecution of the remaining suspects continues.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to intensifying the fight against all forms of cybercrime. He emphasizes that these convictions send a strong and clear message to both local and international cybercriminal networks that Nigeria will not serve as a safe haven for cybercriminal enterprises.

IGP Egbetokun further assures members of the public that the Force will continue to leverage cutting-edge technology, strengthen international collaborations, and sustain diligent investigative and prosecutorial processes to dismantle organized cybercrime networks and bring perpetrators to justice.