Nigerian Police Secure Conviction of 59 Foreign Cyber Criminals in Major Crackdown
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has secured the conviction of an additional fifty-nine foreign nationals involved in a major international internet fraud syndicate operating within the country, marking another major breakthrough in the nation’s ongoing war against cybercrime.
According to a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, the convictions were secured through the Nigeria Police National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) as part of a sustained crackdown on organized cybercriminal networks.
The Police Headquarters explained that the latest convictions bring the total number of convicted suspects in the case to eighty-five. The development follows the earlier sentencing of twenty-one accused persons in August 2025 and another five in September 2025.
The cybercrime syndicate was initially uncovered in November 2024 after a well-coordinated police operation targeted a building in the Jahi area of Abuja. Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the NPF National Cybercrime Centre raided the location, leading to the arrest of 130 suspects, including 113 foreign nationals of Chinese and Malaysian origin and 17 Nigerians.
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According to CSP Hundeyin, the suspects were linked to various high-level cyber offences, including large-scale internet fraud, sophisticated hacking operations, and other criminal activities that threatened Nigeria’s national cybersecurity infrastructure.
“The convictions were secured following meticulous investigations and the presentation of robust digital forensic evidence in court,” the statement read in part.
Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, described the outcome as a strong warning to cybercriminals across the globe. He reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria does not become a safe haven for online fraud syndicates.
“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 stated, according to the police statement.
The Police Chief further assured Nigerians that the Force will continue to employ cutting-edge technology, enhance international cooperation, and sustain diligent investigative and prosecutorial measures to dismantle cybercrime networks operating within and outside the country.
The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has, in recent years, intensified its digital policing operations in collaboration with international partners and local regulatory bodies, leading to the successful prosecution of numerous cybercrime-related cases nationwide.
The statement further emphasized that the remaining suspects are still undergoing prosecution as the Police continue to reinforce the nation’s cyber defence architecture.
By PRNigeria
