Police Trains 192 Officers on Forensic Intelligence Tech, Arrests Three for Cybercrime

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), in collaboration with Radio Tactics Group Limited, has concluded a nationwide specialized training on the Athena Forensic Intelligence Solution (AFIS), aimed at strengthening its capacity to tackle cybercrime.

The intensive program, which ran from July 9 to August 15, 2025, trained 192 officers drawn from all 36 state commands, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and 10 specialized formations. The initiative focused on enhancing officers’ capabilities in digital forensics, intelligence gathering, and cyber investigations.

Facilitated by experts from the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) and the Radio Tactics Group, the training covered areas such as threat identification, communication and location data extraction, biometric capture, and the use of forensic hotlists to link intelligence to operational data.

Participants also learned to analyze data from SIM cards, GPS devices, satellite phones, and a range of mobile devices—including grey-market phones.

According to the Force, these advanced skills are expected to significantly improve its operational readiness and investigative depth in combating cyber-related offenses nationwide.

In a related development, operatives of the NPF-NCCC have arrested three suspects—Gbenga Samuel, Dele Titus, and Olalekan Oke—in Abuja and Lagos for alleged involvement in cyberstalking, identity theft, and online fraud.

On July 18, 2025, the suspects allegedly hacked a victim’s WhatsApp account and demanded a ransom of Three Million Naira (₦3,000,000), threatening to release sensitive data if their demands were not met.

Forensic investigations led to the recovery of the hacked account, arrest of the suspects, and the uncovering of an ongoing organized cybercrime network, now under investigation.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to embracing modern digital tools and continuous capacity-building in the fight against cybercrime.

He emphasized that proactive training and technology adoption remain central to aligning the Force with global best practices amid evolving digital threats.