ENUGU, Nigeria – The Nigeria Police Force has revealed the arrest of a suspected cybercriminal, Onuma Osita, accused of hacking into the Enugu State Government’s financial system and stealing ₦1,097,700,300.
The funds, equivalent to $754,977, have been recovered and returned to the state’s coffers, according to a briefing held in Abuja on Tuesday.
The recovery was led by the Nigeria Police Force-National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), with operatives tracing the stolen funds and apprehending the suspect.
Assistant Commissioner of Police and Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed details of the operation during the press conference.
“NPF-NCCC investigated a report by the Enugu State Government against one Onuma Osita, who defrauded the state of over ₦1 billion in a procurement fraud,” Adejobi said.
“The suspect was arrested, and the sum of ₦1,097,700,300, approximately $754,977, was recovered and returned to the Enugu State Government.”
Seized Assets and Evidence
Adejobi detailed the assets seized during the investigation, which included 14 land documents suspected to be proceeds of the crime, 467 mobile phones, 137 laptops, 46 routers, 28 desktops, four servers, four Starlink devices, and a drone.
International Syndicate Exposed
In a separate operation, police operatives also apprehended a suspected cybercriminal, Douglass Victor, linked to an international syndicate specialising in identity theft, business email compromise, and money laundering.
“The syndicate, allegedly led by one Diepreye Samuel, targeted companies and individuals through compromised email communications to divert funds for personal use,” Adejobi stated.
During questioning, Victor admitted to compromising email accounts, stealing login credentials, and diverting funds.
Thousands of compromised email credentials were recovered from his Skype account.
According to Adejobi, the group operates globally, coordinating through encrypted communications on Skype.
Efforts are ongoing to locate and apprehend the syndicate’s leader and other members.
Broader Crackdown on Cybercrime
Adejobi highlighted the broader achievements of the police in combatting cybercrime throughout 2024.
A total of 751 suspects were arrested for cyber-related offences, with 508 cases reported.
The force secured 14 convictions during the year and froze accounts containing a combined sum of ₦7.9 billion and $115,237.91 in stolen funds.
Recovered assets include 26 vehicles, 16 houses, 39 plots of land, 14 land documents, and 685 electronic devices.
Sextortion, cyberstalking, and computer-related fraud were identified as the most prevalent cybercrime offences.
“These recoveries and arrests underscore our commitment to tackling cybercrime and protecting Nigerians from the devastating impact of online fraud,” Adejobi said.
