FBI Arrests Nine Suspects in Nigeria Cybercrime Crackdown, Seizes 53 Devices

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), working with Nigerian law enforcement agencies and international partners, has arrested nine suspects in Nigeria as part of a major operation targeting online fraud networks accused of defrauding victims across national borders.

The operation known as Operation Blackout, also led to the seizure of 53 electronic devices and the identification of approximately $11 million in funds across multiple countries that could potentially be frozen. FBI Director Kash Patel announced the results on Sunday, October 25, 2026, describing the operation as part of a wider effort to dismantle criminal networks targeting Americans and other victims.

Patel said the targeted scam networks operated across international borders and exploited victims, sometimes stealing their life savings. He praised Nigerian law enforcement agencies and partners in London for their cooperation, warning that authorities would continue pursuing suspects regardless of where they operated.

The FBI has not publicly identified the nine suspects or disclosed the specific locations where they were arrested. Details of the individual allegations and the status of any charges against them have also not been released. The arrests do not, by themselves, establish guilt.

The operation forms part of a wider international enforcement effort announced by the US Department of Justice on October 13. The coordinated campaign involved law enforcement agencies from Nigeria, Ghana, the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries, alongside private sector technology and financial companies.

According to the Justice Department, the wider operation resulted in 28 arrests, including 19 in Ghana and nine in Nigeria. Authorities in Ghana seized 303 electronic devices, while the Nigerian operation accounted for 53 devices. The crackdown targeted several forms of online fraud, including cryptocurrency investment scams, impersonation schemes and fraudulent digital arrest threats.

Technology companies involved in the effort also reported removing more than 3.7 million accounts, pages and groups used to target people in the United States, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Investigators identified more than $11 million in potentially recoverable or freezable funds across multiple jurisdictions, although authorities have not said that the entire amount has been frozen or recovered.

The crackdown highlights growing international cooperation to combat cybercrime, which increasingly relies on digital platforms and cross border financial transactions. Investigators will now have to analyse the seized devices and other evidence as authorities pursue further action against suspected members of the networks. The FBI and its partners say they intend to continue targeting online fraud operations and the infrastructure used to carry them out, while the investigation into the latest arrests continues.