Police Bust Cyber Blackmail Syndicate In Lagos, Arrest Three Suspects
✍️ By Teju/ February 6, 2026/ 2:01pm
Operatives of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Lagos, have arrested three suspects believed to be running a cyber blackmail and extortion syndicate targeting private individuals in the state.
According to the PSFU’s spokesperson, DSP Ovie Ewhubare, the suspects, two men and a woman, were apprehended following a formal complaint by a victim who had been repeatedly threatened with the public release of her explicit photographs unless she paid a ransom. The complainant reportedly made several transfers to the suspects before they demanded an additional N10 million, prompting her to petition the police.
Ewhubare explained that investigators discovered one of the suspects had unlawfully accessed the complainant’s mobile device and transferred her private images to his own phone. He then conspired with the others and other accomplices, still at large, to extort money from the victim in multiple instalments.
Following the petition, PSFU Commissioner Mr Kayode Ojapinwa deployed officers to investigate the matter, leading to the arrests. The suspects are currently in police custody and are expected to be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.
The PSFU said investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate and recover all proceeds from the alleged crime. Officers have reiterated the unit’s commitment to tackling cyber-enabled crimes and urged members of the public to protect their personal data and report suspicious activity.
