Police debunk Enugu govt account hacking allegations, recover N1.09bn

• A report surfaced recently suggesting that a suspected cyber criminal, Osita Onuma, allegedly infiltrated the financial system of the Enugu State Government and stole about N1,097,700,300 from the government account.

The Nigerian Police Force have confirmed the arrest of an individual implicated in a massive N1.09 billion procurement scam in Enugu State.

Details of the arrest remain scarce, but police officials revealed that the National Cyber Crime Centre investigated the matter and successfully recovered the stolen funds.

This information was disclosed in a statement released by Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer, titled “Enugu State Government account was never hacked — Police confirms.”

According to the statement, rumors circulating online about the Enugu State Government’s account being hacked are entirely false. The issue at hand is a case of procurement fraud, not a cyber breach.

“The Nigeria Police Force hereby categorically dismiss the false narrative and rumour circulating online about an alleged hack of the Enugu State Government’s official account, resulting in the theft of N1.09 billion.

“This assertion is completely unfounded. There has been no hacking of the Enugu State Government’s account, and the allegations of theft amounting to N1.09 billion are entirely baseless.

“The case, which was investigated by the NPF-National Cyber Crime Centre (NCCC), was a procurement fraud case, not a cyber-breach. The suspect has been arrested in connection with this fraud, and the funds have already been recovered.”

The police also highlighted the Enugu State Government’s collaboration with the NCCC to establish robust security protocols safeguarding financial systems.

“The Enugu State Government and other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government and corporate firms are in partnership with the NCCC, and have established comprehensive and fortified security protocols to safeguard their financial systems.”

The police urged the public to verify information through credible sources, avoiding misinformation.

In a separate development, the Enugu State Police Command released its 2024 operational report on January 2, 2025, showcasing notable achievements in combating crime.

The report, signed by spokesperson Daniel Ndukwe, revealed the arrest of 1,072 suspects for various crimes, including armed robbery and kidnapping. Additionally, 200 firearms and 124 vehicles were recovered.