Police Train 192 Officers on Forensic Intelligence to Combat Cybercrime, Arrest Three for Identity Theft and Fraud
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has intensified its war against cybercrime with the successful training of 192 officers on the Athena Forensic Intelligence Solution (AFIS).
The training, held between July 9 and August 15, 2025, in partnership with Radio Tactics Group Limited, brought together officers from the 36 state commands, the Federal Capital Territory, and 10 specialized formations. The program was designed to strengthen the digital, forensic, and intelligence-gathering capabilities of personnel in tackling rising cyber-related crimes across the country.
Facilitated by experts from the NPF National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) and Radio Tactics, the training covered critical areas including threat identification, data extraction from SIM cards, GPS devices, satellite phones, and mobile devices — including grey-market phones. Participants were also exposed to biometric capture techniques and the application of forensic hotlists to link intelligence records with operational data.
According to the Force, these mission-ready skills will significantly enhance its ability to respond to complex cybercrime cases and investigations nationwide.
Meanwhile, in a related breakthrough, operatives of the NPF-NCCC have arrested three suspects for cyberstalking, identity theft, and online fraud. The suspects, identified as Gbenga Samuel, Dele Titus, and Olalekan Oke, were apprehended in Abuja and Lagos.
Investigations revealed that on July 18, 2025, the suspects hacked into a victim’s WhatsApp account, threatened to expose confidential information, and demanded a ransom of ₦3 million. Forensic analysis led to their arrest, recovery of the compromised account, and the uncovering of a wider organized cybercrime network currently under investigation.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deploying modern, digitalized approaches to fighting cybercrime. He emphasized continuous training and retraining of officers to align with global best practices in addressing emerging security threats.
— DCP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, mnipr, mipra, fCAI, Force Public Relations Officer, Abuja.
August 19, 2025
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