The police have arrested three suspects trying to steal N3 million after hacking into a WhatsApp account and threatening to expose confidential data belonging to the user.

In a statement on X on Tuesday, Force PPRO, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the police nabbed the suspects on July 18, 2025, in Lagos and Abuja.

Mr Adejobi said, “Operatives of the NPF-NCCC have arrested three suspects, namely Gbenga Samuel, Dele Titus, Olalekan Oke, in Abuja and Lagos for cyberstalking, identity theft, and online fraud. The suspects were found to have been involved in large-scale digital impersonation schemes and other cyber-related offences.”

He said, “On July 18, 2025, the suspects hacked a WhatsApp account belonging to an unsuspecting user, called the user and threatened to expose confidential data on the account if the sum of three million naira (N3,000,000) wasn’t paid. Detailed forensic analysis of the account led to the arrest of the suspects, recovery of the account and discovery of an ongoing organised crime which is currently under investigation.”

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, reiterated his commitment to embracing modern and digitalised approaches against cybercrime and related offences, vowing to ensure continuous training and re-training of personnel to meet best global practices amid emerging threats