The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has arrested seven suspects in connection with an online investment scam centre operating in Agbor, Delta State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, saying the arrests followed a coordinated investigation supported by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and intelligence provided by Meta.
According to Hundeyin, the suspects arrested are Collins Ogwuorie, Christian Ogwuorie, Gbenoba Emmanuel, Samuel Olufemi, Collins Victor, Onyeka Emenem and Kefas Ogunbor.
He said investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly operated a sophisticated online fraud network that used fake social media accounts to impersonate reputable cryptocurrency traders, targeting unsuspecting victims who believed they were engaging with legitimate investment platforms.
“The investigation revealed the activities of an online investment scam centre operating in Agbor, Delta State,” Hundeyin said.
“The suspects utilised fake social media accounts to impersonate reputable cryptocurrency traders, targeting unsuspecting individuals who interact with legitimate investment platforms,” he added.
Hundeyin further explained that leaders of the network expanded their operations by recruiting and training young individuals in retirement investment fraud techniques and phishing attacks.
“The leaders of this network expanded operations by recruiting and training young individuals in retirement investment fraud techniques and distribution of phishing attacks targeting victims from the United States of America based in the United Kingdom, along with U.K. residents,” he said.
He identified Collins Ogwuorie as the alleged leader of the syndicate, noting that he reportedly procured about 500 social media accounts from online vendors and distributed them among recruits for coordinated spamming, impersonation and engagement with victims.
“The suspects, including his brother Christian Ogwuorie, were assigned various operational roles, including account management, online engagement and mass spamming,” Hundeyin said.
“The syndicate also operated a fraudulent Facebook group titled ‘RETIREMENT STRATEGIES: REAL ESTATE AND MARKET INSIGHTS’, where fabricated testimonials were posted to lure victims into making financial investments,” he added.
Hundeyin disclosed that items recovered during the operation included 26 mobile phones, 42 SIM cards and one laptop, all suspected to have been used in perpetrating the alleged crimes.
He noted that investigations were still ongoing and advised members of the public to exercise caution when engaging in online investment opportunities and to verify the authenticity of platforms before committing funds.
Reacting to the arrests, Meta welcomed the collaboration with the Nigerian Police Force and the UK National Crime Agency.
“We welcomed the partnership with the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and the UK National Crime Agency to identify and disrupt this scam centre, based on insight and signals shared by Meta,” said Sylvia Musalagani, Head of Safety Policy for Africa, the Middle East and Türkiye at Meta.
She said the takedown demonstrated the impact of cooperation between technology companies and law enforcement agencies.
Similarly, a representative of the UK National Crime Agency, Matt Mountain, said the arrests were part of the agency’s ongoing collaboration with Nigerian authorities.
“The NCA and the British High Commission welcome these arrests in our ongoing partnership with the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre,” Mountain said.
He added that the collaboration had been strengthened by the UK–Nigeria Fraud Memorandum of Understanding signed last year, and reiterated the agency’s commitment to working with Nigerian law enforcement to tackle fraud and deny criminals safe haven.
