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 Eleme Local Government Council in Rivers State has arrested two suspects linked to a stolen Toyota Corolla.
The Chief Security Officer of the council, Comr. Greg Emere Ogosu, who confirmed the incident on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 said the arrests followed ongoing efforts to fight crime in the area.
According to Ogosu, the suspects had been under watch since April 5, 2026, when the stolen car was found hidden at New Road in Onne.
The duo was later arrested after a manhunt and confessed to the crime.
He added that they have been handed over to the Nigeria Police for proper investigation and prosecution, stressing that there is no room for jungle justice in Eleme.
The council also warned that criminal activities will not be allowed in the area.
Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have killed 20 persons in Pubagu, Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, and Mayo-Ladde in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Our correspondent gathered that the terrorists stormed the two border communities around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, overpowering local security operatives before killing residents.
Confirming the attack exclusively to PUNCH Online on Wednesday, the Chairman of Askira Uba Local Government Area, Mada Saidu, said 11 people were killed in Pubagu, Borno State, while nine lost their lives in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
He said, “Yes, there was an attack in Pubagu, Askira Uba, yesterday, Tuesday, around 4 p.m. Eleven people were killed. While in Mayo-Ladde, Hong Local Government in Adamawa State, nine people were killed.”
The two locations, according to him, are separated by a river.
“In total, we have 20 deaths, 11 from Askira Uba in Borno, nine from Hong Local Government, Adamawa,” he added.
Saidu noted that the insurgents overpowered local security operatives, gained access to the communities, and shot their victims.
“I later went there together with the Army. Initially, it was local security that was there, that is, hunters and vigilantes. But they were overpowered by the terrorists,” he stated.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers stormed the communities on motorcycles and operated for hours, destroying homes and looting property.
One of the survivors, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Yesterday evening, the terrorists stormed our community in Pubagu. They shot sporadically for hours, burning houses and shops. They killed both men and women after operating for over one hour.”
The source added that the terrorists operated with little resistance from security operatives.
“The local vigilantes and hunters tried their best. Unfortunately, the terrorists were well armed and in much greater numbers. The resistance was not strong enough. The hunters later fled for their lives, too,” the source added.
On April 16, PUNCH Online reported that Boko Haram terrorists killed four soldiers and one civilian in Mussa community in Askira Uba Local Government Area.
The Chairman of the local government, Mada Saidu, who confirmed the earlier attack, said the civilian casualty was a woman.
Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Ikoyi, Lagos have commenced an investigation of a suspected fake lawyer, John Anoruo, for possession of a forged seal of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA.
Anoruo, who operates a legal and educational consultancy in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, was arrested by EFCC operatives on Monday, April 20, 2026.
The agency in a statement said his case began after he submitted a petition dated September 22, 2025 to the EFCC, on behalf of his clients, against the management of a company, Global West Vessel Specialist Nigeria Limited.
However, investigations revealed that both the petition and the subsequent Letter of Withdrawal dated March 5, 2026, bore a forged seal of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, which Anoruo confessed to have obtained from an undisclosed business centre in Lagos.
During investigations,the 55-year-old claimed that although he obtained a Law degree in 2018 from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, through evening classes, he did not attend the Nigerian Law School.
The agency says the suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
