LAGOS — The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), also known as Cyber Hawks, has apprehended major suspects involved in high-profile cases of identity theft, business email compromise (BEC), computer fraud, money laundering, and WhatsApp hacking. These arrests were announced during a briefing by police spokesman, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who shared key details of the ongoing investigation.
Among the arrested suspects is Douglass Victor, apprehended on December 20, 2024. Victor is a significant member of a cybercrime syndicate led by Diepreye Samuel, which specialized in compromising business email accounts to defraud international corporations. During questioning, Victor admitted to hacking customers’ emails, intercepting business communications, and diverting funds to the group’s accounts. Evidence recovered from his Skype account revealed thousands of compromised email credentials.
The syndicate, which operates globally, exclusively communicates through Skype to avoid detection. While Victor has been arrested, efforts are ongoing to locate and apprehend the leader and other members still at large.
In a separate development, 26-year-old Egbo Efe Martins from Ughelli South, Delta State, was arrested for his involvement in facilitating cybercrime. Martins fraudulently opened and rented bank accounts to cybercriminals, enabling them to hack prominent Nigerians’ WhatsApp accounts. These hackers targeted high-profile individuals, including senators and ministers, using the stolen accounts to extort money under false pretenses. Martins has been charged with Criminal Conspiracy, Impersonation, and Computer-Related Fraud under the Cybercrimes Act, 2024.
Additionally, the NPF-NCCC uncovered a WhatsApp hacking scheme following a petition from Mallam Yasir Hassan Isah, who was defrauded of ₦24 million after his trusted friend’s WhatsApp account was hacked. The suspects—Chinedu Godswill Israel (20), Lucky Adesunloye (34), and Ndifreke Joseph Moody (27)—were arrested and confessed to hacking WhatsApp accounts to impersonate victims and extort money from their contacts. Investigations are ongoing to recover the stolen funds and dismantle the syndicate.
The NPF-NCCC remains committed to tackling cybercrime and bringing perpetrators to justice.
