E-Business
Nigeria Tops as INTERPOL Arrested Over 300 Cybercriminals Across Africa

Kaspersky has recently contributed its threat intelligence data to an INTERPOL-led law enforcement action that aimed to disrupt cross-border criminal networks across the African region that cause significant harm to individuals and businesses.

With seven participating countries in Africa, operation Red Card resulted in the arrest of 306 individuals suspected of links to cybercrimes such as mobile banking, investment and messaging app scams, and seizure of 1,842 devices.
Conducted from November 2024 to February 2025, operation Red Card was delivered through INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC) and brought together law enforcers from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo and Zambia.
The operation conduct was preceded by a threat intelligence data exchange, which was enriched by INTERPOL and its private sector partners, including Kaspersky. Kaspersky has shared with the law enforcement agency the results of an analysis of samples of a malicious Android application that targeted users in African countries along with the data on related infrastructure.
Altogether, the cybercriminal cases uncovered by the Red Card participants have preyed on more than 5,000 people. Among operation highlights were:
Nigeria: Nigerian police arrested 130 people, including 113 foreign nationals, for their alleged involvement in cyber-enabled scams such as online casino and investment fraud. The suspects, who converted proceeds to digital assets to conceal their tracks, were recruited from different countries to run the illegal schemes in as many languages as possible.
Zambia: Officers apprehended 14 suspected members of a criminal syndicate that hacked into victims’ phones. The scam involved sending a message containing a malicious link which, when clicked, installed malware on the device.
This allowed hackers to take control of the messaging account, and ultimately the phone, giving them access to banking apps. The hackers were also able to use the victim’s messaging apps to share the malicious link within conversations and groups, enabling the scam to spread.
Rwanda: Rwandan authorities arrested 45 members of a criminal network for their involvement in social engineering scams that defrauded victims of over USD 305,000 in 2024 alone.
Their tactics included posing as telecommunications employees and claiming fake ‘jackpot’ wins to extract sensitive information and gain access to victims’ mobile banking accounts. Another method involved impersonating an injured family member to ask relatives for financial assistance towards hospital bills.
South Africa: Local authorities arrested 40 individuals and seized more than 1,000 SIM cards, along with 53 desktops and towers linked to a sophisticated SIM box fraud scheme. This setup, which reroutes international calls as local ones, is commonly used by criminals to carry out large-scale SMS phishing attacks.
Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate, said: “The success of Operation Red Card demonstrates the power of international cooperation in combating cybercrime, which knows no borders and can have devastating effects on individuals and communities.
“The recovery of significant assets and devices, as well as the arrest of key suspects, sends a strong message to cybercriminals that their activities will not go unpunished.”
“Kaspersky is proud to be part of this collaborative effort led by INTERPOL. The evolving threat landscape in Africa requires a multi-stakeholder dialogue and joint efforts of public and private organisations to address the cybersecurity challenges the region faces today.
The Red Card operation is a notable example of such cooperation, showcasing how the expertise of private companies coupled with extensive investigative capacities of law enforcers can foster a more cyber-resilient environment,” comments Yuliya Shlychkova, Vice President, Global Public Affairs, Kaspersky.
Kaspersky and INTERPOL have a vast record of joint operations aimed at combating cybercrime in the African region, with Kaspersky having supported two editions of INTERPOL’s Africa Cyber Surge operations.
Just recently, Kaspersky was also a contributor to INTERPOL’s joint action with AFRIPOL, which last year became the company’s official partner in fostering a more cybersafe climate across Africa. This partnership focuses on sharing Kaspersky’s extensive data on local cyberthreats and cybercrime trends in the region.
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone

Galaxy Backbone (GBB) aligns with and celebrates the successful announcement by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on the achievement of a Paperless Civil Service, a significant milestone in Nigeria’s public sector reform and digital transformation agenda.

The milestone was formally highlighted at a press briefing led by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who commended Galaxy Backbone for its sustained support and contribution throughout the implementation of the programme.
GBB has played a critical role in enabling this transition by providing secure, scalable, and shared digital infrastructure that supports the digitisation of government processes across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Through the 1Government Cloud, MDAs have been empowered to migrate from paper-based workflows to digital platforms, improving efficiency, collaboration, data security, and service delivery across the Federal Civil Service.
In addition, GovMail, GBB’s secure government email platform, has strengthened official communication, enhanced records management, and reinforced cybersecurity standards—key pillars in sustaining a paperless operating environment.
Galaxy Backbone acknowledges the collective efforts of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of ICT, consultants, partners, and dedicated public servants whose commitment and collaboration ensured the smooth delivery of this initiative.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, was represented at the press briefing by Akintayo Bamisaye, Acting Group Head, Research, Digital Innovation and Skills Department (RDIS).
GBB describes the achievement as a strong close to 2025 and reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Federal Government in building a modern, efficient, and digitally enabled public service.
E-Business
Jumia CEO says Black Friday Signals Nigeria’s E-Commerce Maturity

At the close of 2025, Temidayo Ojo, the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, reflected on a year-end shopping season that points to the growing maturity of the country’s e-commerce market. “Black Friday is no longer a single, short-lived spike in activity,” he said.

“It has become a familiar, anticipated moment in the retail calendar, where consumers shop deliberately and with confidence.”
Preliminary KPIs for the two months ended November 30, 2025, show strong year-on-year growth in both orders and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), with GMV growth outpacing order growth. This indicates that customers are placing fuller, more considered baskets rather than shopping in fragmented transactions. Nigeria ranked among Jumia Group’s better-performing markets, with engagement remaining steady throughout the Black Friday period rather than spiking briefly and tapering off.
A key factor behind this performance is the growing familiarity of consumers with online shopping. Customers are increasingly leveraging platform features such as saved carts, brand stores, and price comparison tools to plan purchases in advance. This trend suggests that digital commerce is becoming embedded in everyday habits rather than being viewed as a one-off event.
Ojo also highlighted the role of Jumia’s JForce network in connecting digital commerce to local communities. “Our agents are critical to ensuring that customers across Nigeria, including secondary cities and smaller communities, have access to variety, consistent pricing, and reliable delivery,” he said. “During peak periods like Black Friday, JForce agents can respond faster, serve more customers efficiently, and build stronger local relationships. This isn’t just a distribution channel—it’s a pathway to sustainable income and inclusion.”
Reflecting on the overall performance, the CEO concluded: “What we’re seeing this year-end is steady engagement across categories, stronger consumer confidence, and partners like our JForce agents benefiting from increased activity.
“It confirms that Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem is maturing, growing in a more structured and resilient way. As the December Holiday Sale continues, we expect these patterns of familiarity, trust, and participation to sustain momentum and drive both commerce and community impact across the country.”
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone Tops FG’s Website Performance Ranking

Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has been ranked first overall in the 2025 Federal Government Website Performance Scorecard.

This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy.
The ranking, conducted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), is the definitive benchmark for digital excellence and transparency across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, managing director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone, received the award during a ceremony in Abuja.
He described the feat as a validation of the agency’s“Nigeria First”data sovereignty strategy and its relentless pursuit of service excellence.
This recognition comes as the Federal Government intensifies its push to achieve a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025.
GBB has been the primary architect of this transition through its 1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, which now hosts the operations of almost all federal MDAs.
The award adds to a growing list of accolades for Galaxy Backbone in 2025, following its recent win of the “International Standard Excellence Award for Best IT Service Provider.”
As the central hub for government shared services, GBB’s performance serves as a blueprint for other agencies currently undergoing digital transformation.
With its expanded fiber-optic backbone now covering over 13 states and its secure cloud solutions, Galaxy Backbone remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s vision to become a leading digital nation by the end of the decade.
E-Financial3 days agoBanks to Impose N50 Stamp Duty on Transfers of N10,000 and Above from January 1
E-Financial2 days agoFIRS Rebrands as Nigeria Revenue Service, as New Tax Laws Take Effect
E-Financial3 days agoHow Nigeria’s New Tax Law Could Redefine Risk in the Banking Sector
Broadcasting3 days agoHow to Use the Correlation of Gold with Other Trading Assets in the Forex Market
E-Business2 days agoGalaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone
General News2 days agoNigeria Police suspends tinted glass permit enforcement over court injunction
E-Financial15 hours agoFidelity Bank Appoints Onwughalu as New Chairman After Chike-Obi’s Tenure
Broadcasting15 hours agoDStv Offers Instant Package Upgrade for Customers from January to February













