Nigeria Police Force has recorded significant progress in its fight against cybercrime, with multiple high-profile arrests and investigations carried out by the National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC).
According to a statement issued by Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Okon Placid, the operations demonstrate the agency’s determination to tackle financial fraud, safeguard foreign investments, and maintain trust in Nigeria’s digital and financial systems.
One of the major breakthroughs involved the dismantling of a sophisticated cross-border fraud network. The operation followed intelligence provided by the East Africa Sub-Sahara Africa Safe Promotion (EA-SSASPF) Foundation, based in Nairobi, Kenya.
“In an intelligence-led operation, the NPF-NCCC has dismantled a sophisticated cross-border fraud syndicate, following actionable intelligence received from the East Africa Sub-Sahara Africa Safe Promotion (EA-SSASPF) Foundation, a registered NGO in Nairobi, Kenya, one Mr Julius Kithome and Ms. Cynthia Kithome, were introduced to the suspect by one Rev. Edy Ndeto in Nairobi,” the statement explained.
Police identified the main suspect as Agbor Martins Black-Diamond, also known as Oruojong Black Diamond Agbor Martins, who allegedly posed as a representative of the World Bank and other US-based donor agencies to deceive victims.
Investigations revealed that the victims transferred a total of $250,000 over three years, believing the funds were required for registration and administrative processes to access donor support.
“No funding was ever secured. Instead, the suspect organized sham symposiums in Nigeria and South Africa,” the statement added.
The police further disclosed that in 2024, the suspect convinced victims to take a bank loan using family property as collateral in an attempt to access a non-existent $850,000 empowerment fund in Ghana.
Financial analysis confirmed multiple transactions linked to the scheme, including $57,975 received between February and July 2023. The suspect was eventually arrested on March 31, 2026.
Authorities also discovered that the suspect’s organization was initially unregistered in Nigeria, prompting a later attempt to legitimize operations under a different corporate name. Additional findings indicated that the scheme extended to local farmers in the Kuje Area Council, where individuals were allegedly charged N50,000 each under false empowerment programmes.
In a separate case, the police arrested a former employee accused of manipulating company systems to divert customer payments into personal accounts. The suspect reportedly confessed to the act, and items including a mobile phone and identification documents were recovered.
Another investigation led to the arrest of two suspects—Ayodele Daramola and Dada Babatunde Oluwatobi—over allegations of conspiracy, fraud, and data breaches involving a private company.
Preliminary findings revealed that between May and December 2025, the suspects diverted a total of N85 million by exploiting internal systems and routing funds through personal accounts.
“From the proceeds, 21% approximately N17,850,000.00 was retained by Dada Babatunde, while 79% approximately N67,150,000.00 was transferred to an online bank account linked to Ayodele Daramola.
“Further investigation established that approximately N61,000,000.00 received by Ayodele Daramola was expended on online gambling and betting platforms.
A cash sum of N4,000,000.00, one unserviceable Lexus ES350 (Reg. No. Lagos JJJ878JZ), one Dell Laptop, one iPhone 13 Pro Max were recovered from the suspects.
“Investigations are ongoing, and efforts are being intensified to recover the remaining funds and prosecute all parties involved in accordance with the law,” the statement said.
Reaffirming the police’s stance, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, stressed that Nigeria will not serve as a safe haven for cybercriminals.
He assured both citizens and the international community that the force remains committed to protecting the country’s digital economy and ensuring that those involved in cybercrime are brought to justice.
