The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has said law enforcement agencies have arrested 651 suspects and recovered over $4.3 million during a major crackdown on online fraud across African countries, including Nigeria and Kenya.
According to the press statement issued on Thursday, February 19, 2026, the sting, codenamed Operation Red Card 2.0, ran from December 8, 2025, to January 30, 2026, targeting high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud and fraudulent loan applications.
According to the press statement issued on Thursday, February 19, 2026, investigations during the operation uncovered scams linked to more than $45 million in financial losses and identified 1,217 victims, mostly from Africa.
“Law enforcement agencies from 16 African countries have made 651 arrests and recovered more than USD 4.3 million in an international cybercrime operation against online scams,” the statement read.
Operation Red Card 2.0 (8 December 2025 to 30 January 2026) targeted the infrastructure and actors behind high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud and fraudulent mobile loan applications.
During the eight-week operation, investigations exposed scams linked to over USD 45 million in financial losses and identified 1,247 victims, predominantly from the African continent but also from other regions of the world.
Authorities also seized 2,341 devices and took down 1,442 malicious IPs, domains and servers, as well as other related infrastructure.
INTERPOL supported the operation through critical intelligence sharing, real-time information exchange and capacity-building activities, including training on digital forensic tools.
“These organized cybercriminal syndicates inflict devastating financial and psychological harm on individuals, businesses and entire communities with their false promises. Operation Red Card highlights the importance of collaboration when combatting transnational cybercrime. I encourage all victims of cybercrime to reach out to law enforcement for help,” Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate.
According to the statement, In Nigeria, police dismantled a high-yield investment fraud ring that recruited young individuals to carry out cyber-enabled crimes using phishing, identity theft, social engineering and fake digital asset investment schemes. Over 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts were taken down and investigators uncovered a residential property constructed by the syndicate ringleader to serve as the operational hub for the criminal activities.
In Kenya, authorities made 27 arrests linked to fraud schemes that used messaging apps, social media and fictitious testimonials to lure victims into making fake investments in reputable global corporations. Scammers solicited small initial investments ‒ as low as USD 50 ‒ with claims of lucrative returns. Victims were shown fabricated account statements or dashboards but withdrawal requests were systematically blocked.
In Côte d’Ivoire, law enforcement made 58 arrests and seized 240 mobile phones, 25 laptops and over 300 SIM cards in a targeted operation against mobile loan fraud. These scams predominantly targeted vulnerable populations through deceptive mobile applications and messaging services, attracting victims with promises of quick, unsecured loans, only to impose fees, enforce abusive debt-collection practices and illicitly harvest sensitive personal and financial data.
In a separate major success for Nigerian authorities, six members of a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate were arrested for infiltrating the internal platform of a major telecommunications provider through compromised staff login credentials. An investigation led to the disruption of the scheme, which involved siphoning significant volumes of airtime and data for illegal resale.
During Operation Red Card 2.0, INTERPOL worked closely with its partners, Cybercrime Atlas, Team Cymru, Trend Micro, TRM Labs and Uppsala Security, leveraging their data and expertise to provide critical intelligence to participating countries.
The operation was conducted under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), an initiative funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
The Global Action on Cybercrime Enhanced (GLACY-e) project, a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe, provided operation-specific support.
Participating member countries include, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Chad, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The Nasarawa State Police Command has rescued a three-day-old baby boy who was abducted from his mother’s home and arrested two suspects in connection with the crime.
The command’s spokesman, SP Ramhan Nansel, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
Nansel said the mother, Aisha Bada, 19, a resident of Unguwan Bako, Orange Market, Mararaba, in Karu Local Government Area, reported at the police station on March 29 that unknown persons had broken into her home and taken her newborn son.
“On 28th March 2026 at about 1150 hours, while she was asleep with her three-day-old baby in her uncompleted building located at the outskirts of Unguwan Bawa, Orange Market, two unidentified men broke into the house, threatened her with violence, and abducted the baby to an unknown destination,” he said.
Her husband, Abubakar Isah, a commercial tricycle rider, had been in Lagos for business since about five months earlier.
Following the report, the Commissioner of Police, Shetima Mohammed, directed detectives of Mararaba ‘A’ Division to visit the scene and ordered a full-scale investigation.
Nansel said acting on credible intelligence, police operatives on Thursday at about 4am arrested two suspects — Furera Abdulrahman, 35, of Rugan Juli, and Sadiya Abdullahi, 39, of Unguwan Bako, Orange Market — and recovered the baby from their possession.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and implicated an accomplice who is currently at large. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect,” he added.
The rescued baby was taken to the Medical Centre, Mararaba, where a doctor certified him in good health before he was discharged. He has since been reunited with his parents.
The spokesman said the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Lafia for further investigation upon the completion of preliminary inquiries.
“The Nasarawa State Police Command reassures members of the public of its unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property and urges citizens to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station,” Nansel said.
The Nigeria Police Force, Zone 2 headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, has arrested three suspects involved in criminal conspiracy, cybercrime, forgery, impersonation, and cultism.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Afolayan Gbenga, the breakthrough followed a credible intelligence received by detectives attached to the Zonal Intelligence Department (ZID).
The statement said the operation carried out on the 7th of January, 2026, in the Lekki−Ajah axis of Lagos State, led to the arrest of Tega Emmanuel (male, 24 years old), Jacob Olatunde (male, 33 years old), and Gift Okubakpere (male, 36 years old).
Tega Emmanuel was intercepted along Chevron Drive, Lekki − Ajah expressway, while driving a Porsche vehicle. He confessed to his involvement in cybercrime activities. A search warrant executed at his residence subsequently led to the arrest of two other suspects, Jacob Olatunde and Gift Okubakpere.
During interrogation, the suspects confessed to their various roles in the coordinated cybercrime operation.
Tega Emmanuel confessed to coordinating cyber fraud, romance scams, and generating fraudulent accounts. Jacob Olatunde confessed to handling financial transactions and managing the collection of Illicit funds, while Gift Okubakpere was responsible for managing cryptocurrency-related scams carried out via Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, cryptocurrency platforms, and Online banking platforms.
Police disclosed that further investigations led to the recovery of the following exhibits: three HP Laptops, one Apple MacBook Laptop, two MacBook Tablets, nine iPhones containing evidences of criminal activities, devices used for fraudulent transactions, six international passports, Lagos State vehicle number plates (LSR 235 JM, FKJ 558 JK), three dealer plate numbers, military camouflage, one mini printer, one toy gun (pistol) which the suspect claimed was used for skit production.
Also recovered were 98pieces of suspected counterfeit 100−Dollar United States currency notes, illicit drugs suspected to be Indian hemp, and smoking paraphernalia.
Investigations have also been extended to relevant agencies to confirm the status of the suspected counterfeit currency and illicit drugs.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, commended the officers involved for their professionalism and assured members of the public that the suspects will be prosecuted upon the conclusion of investigations.
He further reaffirmed the commitment of the Zone 2 Headquarters to sustaining the fight against fraud-related offences within Lagos and Ogun states.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has secured the conviction of a couple for trafficking babies in Cross River State.
The convicts, Esther Ini Udo, 32, and Eyo Stephen Udo, 34, were sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment each by the Federal High Court sitting in Calabar.
According to a statement issued by NAPTIP on Thursday, April 2, 2026, the couple were arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on buying and selling of babies for exploitation, contrary to provisions of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
“Today, the 1st day of April, 2026, Cross State Command Secured two(2) convictions in FRN VS ESTHER INI UDO & EYO STEPHEN UDO – CHARGE NO. FHC/CA/19C/2025. The convicts were charged with 4 counts charge bordering on buying and selling of babies for exploitation contrary to Ss. 13(4)(a)(c) & (e), 21 and 27 of TIPPEA Act, 2015,” the statement read.
“1st convict sold her newborn baby to one Oluchi Judith, who is at large for the sum of N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira Only). Also, the two Convicts bought a 1-year-old baby boy for the sum of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only) from Blessing and Uduak (both Convicts) and resold the said baby to the same Oluchi Judith for the sum of N400,000.00 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira Only.”
The statement noted that the offences formed the basis of the charge marked FHC/CA/19C/2025, filed on March 19, 2025.
