The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 78 suspects across Nasarawa, Abia, and Kano States for alleged involvement in internet-related fraud. The arrests, which took place between Tuesday and Friday, were confirmed in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale.
On Friday, EFCC operatives arrested 43 individuals in Toto, Nasarawa State, following intelligence reports linking them to online fraud. Items recovered included 64 mobile phones, five motorcycles, four laptops, and an iPad. The commission said the operation was part of efforts to clamp down on cybercrime syndicates in semi-urban areas increasingly being used as safe havens.
On Thursday, 30 suspects were apprehended in Ariam and Ubakala communities of Abia State. Items recovered during the operation included four vehicles, 42 mobile phones, three laptops, an iPad, a sound system, and an external hard drive. The EFCC noted that the arrests followed weeks of digital surveillance and intelligence gathering.
Earlier in the week, five suspects were arrested on Tuesday at the Farm Centre area of Kano by operatives from the EFCC’s Kano Zonal Directorate. The suspects were picked up in a sting operation based on actionable intelligence, and mobile phones allegedly used for online fraud were seized.
Oyewale stated that all suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations. He reaffirmed the EFCC’s commitment to tackling cybercrime, which he described as a growing threat to Nigeria’s image and economic well-being. These arrests reflect the commission’s intensified efforts to root out online fraud in both urban and rural parts of the country.
