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Police Burst Gangs Who Empty Bank Accounts with SIM Cards
Zakarriyah Yahaya, a 46-year-old suspect, also known as ”His Excellency”, on Monday revealed how and his gang emptied the bank accounts of many Nigerians using lost or stolen SIM cards.
Yahaya, among 39 suspects paraded for various crimes at defunct headquarters of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Abuja by the Nigerian Police, explained that bank accounts of many Nigerians receiving alerts are easy to access by using their account and phone numbers.
The suspects were arrested across the country by Force Investigation Bureau of Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by Tunji Disu, who took over recently from Abba Kyari, suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police.
Speaking to journalists, the suspect said, ”My name is Zakarriyah Yahaya, I was born and brought up in Jos. I was arrested last month in Mabushi here in Abuja. I used to reset any SIMs that receive bank alert. I will reset it and steal all the money inside the bank account.
”I do reset it with victim’s bank account number through bank code from the first to the last number. Any bank that we get, we first use it to buy recharge card, from there, they will send us the alert. From the alert, we will now get the account number.”
When asked for the banks they are mostly interested in, he said First Bank and Access Bank because they are easy to reset.
He disclosed that they started the job in the last two years and no fewer than eleven members of the gang are working for him, adding that they are operating in three main cities: Kano, Plateau and Abuja.
He said he could not recall the exact numbers of bank accounts they’d stolen from but they had once removed N800,000 from one of the accounts.
Explaining how they operate from the police’s investigation, Frank Mba, force spokesman, said the criminals do acquire SIM packs in large numbers and re-activate old phone numbers people don’t use again and explore any bank account’s details.
Mba said, ”Yahaya Zakari controls multiple gangs of cyber crooks whose talk-in-trade is to go after SIM cards, phone numbers of innocent Nigerians, breaking into their privacy, steal their banks’ IDs, and steal monies from the accounts.
”They have two main modus oprandi. The first is to go and purchase or acquire MTN lines, the new starter kits in large numbers. When they get these, they tried to hack BVN.
”Experience has shown them that at this stage, some of our service providers are recycling old numbers. Persons who had used phones and probably for some reasons have travelled out of the country, or for any other reason chose not to use the number again, and those numbers are dormant and currently being recycled and being re-issued to persons as new numbers.
”They are very skilful and they have ways of knowing or decoding old numbers. So, when they put on their MTN starter packs, and they are given options to select numbers, they select old numbers, and at random, they tried to explore and see if they could get bank details from those old numbers. That is their first modus.”
Mba also said the criminals do attack their victims physically, collect their phones and target their SIM, adding that they are not interested in the phones but the SIM cards.
He, however, appealed to Nigerians to guide their phones jealously and quickly report to their banks and service providers if their phones get lost.
According to him, ”The second, which is very dangerous where they sometimes hurt innocent citizens both physically and financially, is through deploying gangs that attack innocent citizens, forcefully snatch their phones, or sometimes get these phones stolen via pickpocketing.
”Once they get these phones, their target is not the phone, no matter how expensive your phone is, they are not interested in that phone, that’s not the main target. That could actually be a by-product or a side benefit from the crime, but the major target is your SIM card.
”And once they get your SIM card, they tried to play around with it, and see if they could find anything that can link them or take them straight into victims’ accounts, and they had done these successfully.
”With that, if they get access to your bank details, they go straight to steal your money. The lesson for all of us here is that, we must guide our phones jealously. Even when you lose a phone or a number and you think you’ve got two or three other numbers or lines, don’t let your number go back to strange hands, go back to your service providers and do all what’s necessary, re-activate and re-claim your lines.”
Mobility technology company, Moove has raised $250 million in a Series C funding round at a valuation of $2.1 billion, reaching unicorn status.
The startup will deploy the fresh capital to build out autonomous vehicle infrastructure, expand fleet ownership, construct robotics-focused “Nests” for charging and maintenance, and grow its autonomous workforce from 150 to 500 by year-end.
The company plans to enter additional global markets, reflecting a strategy to build the operational infrastructure required for large-scale autonomous transportation rather than simply supplying vehicles.
Led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s Growth Fund, and Ion Pacific, the round also included new investors BlueCrest Capital Management, Sona Asset Management and The Raptor Group, alongside existing backers BlackRock, MUFG, Franklin Templeton and Uber.
“Autonomous mobility is becoming an infrastructure race requiring fleets, charging systems, maintenance, data infrastructure and continuous city-level operations,” said Ladi Delano, co-founder, co-CEO and advisory board chairman of Moove.
Founded in Lagos in 2020, Moove has grown into a global mobility platform employing about 3,300 people across 29 cities in 13 countries, operating approximately 42,000 vehicles and reaching $420 million in annualised recurring revenue.
It has expanded organically and through acquisitions, including Kovi in Brazil and Tokyo Taxi in Japan. Moove also operates autonomous vehicle fleets in partnership with Waymo in Phoenix and Miami, with London expected to join its footprint.
The $2.1 billion valuation places Moove among Africa’s small group of tech unicorns, alongside Flutterwave, OPay, Moniepoint, Andela, Chipper Cash, Wave, Tyme, MNT-Halan and Interswitch.
The $250 million round is the largest single funding deal announced by an African startup this year, though EV mobility firm Spiro raised $270 million cumulatively across two separate rounds.
Heirs Life Assurance, the specialist life insurance company of Heirs Insurance Group, has appointed Pastor Jerry Eze as an Independent Non-Executive Director on its Board, effective August 10, 2026.
L – R: Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Life Assurance; Pastor Jerry Eze, incoming director, Heirs Life Assurance
The appointment reinforces Heirs Life Assurance’s commitment to expanding financial inclusion and accelerating insurance adoption by strengthening public trust, consumer education, and long-term financial resilience across Nigeria.
Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria’s insurance penetration remains below one percent – among the lowest globally – highlighting the need to expand financial protection and build greater public trust in insurance.
As Heirs Life continues to pursue its mission of making insurance accessible to every Nigerian, Eze’s appointment brings a unique perspective on community engagement, value-based leadership, and broad societal impact.
Pastor Jerry Eze is the Founder and Lead Pastor of Streams of Joy International Ministry, a growing multinational ministry with 34 branches across West Africa, Southern Africa, Europe and North America.
He is also the convener of the New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declaration (NSPPD), one of the world’s largest digital prayer platforms, reaching millions of people daily. Through his ministry and humanitarian initiatives, he has become one of Africa’s most influential voices, championing hope, compassion, and community transformation.
Beyond ministry, Eze is the Founder of the Jerry Eze Foundation, a faith-led philanthropy where he provides housing support and grants to vulnerable and underserved communities.
In 2026, he announced N1billion in grants to support young entrepreneurs across agriculture, technology, and manufacturing, further advancing enterprise development and economic opportunity.
Before entering full-time ministry, Pastor Jerry Eze built a career in development communications, serving as a Communications Specialist on a World Bank HIV/AIDS programme and with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and International Relations from Abia State University and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Speaking about the appointment, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, Chairman, Heirs Life Assurance, said: “Pastor Jerry brings an exceptional combination of integrity, influence, and a deep understanding of people and communities.
“As we continue our mission to democratise access to insurance, his insight will help strengthen consumer trust, deepen financial inclusion, and reinforce our commitment to protecting the financial future of millions of Nigerians.
“We are delighted to welcome him to the Board of Heirs Life Assurance and the broader family of Heirs Insurance Group.”
Commenting on his appointment, Pastor Jerry Eze said: “I am honoured to join the Board of Heirs Life Assurance at a defining moment for the insurance industry. Financial security empowers individuals, families, and businesses to pursue their aspirations with greater confidence and resilience.
“I look forward to working with the Board and Management to advance the company’s mission of making insurance more accessible, relevant, and impactful for every Nigerian.”
Heirs Life Assurance has become one of Nigeria’s leading specialist life insurance companies, ranking 7th on the Financial Times list of Africa’s fastest-growing companies.
It is one of the three insurance businesses of Heirs Holdings, the leading pan-African investment company, with investments across 24 countries and four continents.
Combining an omni-channel digital presence with physical branches spread across the country, Heirs Life continues to redefine life insurance through innovation, customer-centric solutions, and a commitment to making financial protection accessible to every Nigerian.
Heirs Insurance Group, comprising Heirs Life Assurance, Heirs General Insurance, and Heirs Insurance Brokers, collectively serves over 3 million people directly and indirectly.
The Group is championing financial inclusion and leading the digital insurance play in Nigeria, demonstrating its mission to democratise access to insurance.
The World Bank Group has announced the 31-month debarments of United Aviation Services Limited (UNASEL), a transportation services company based in Nigeria, and Air Vice Marshal Alkali Mamu, its owner and president, “in connection with fraudulent practices under the Enhancing Niger Northeastern Connectivity Project,” according to a press release issued by the multilateral development bank.
The statement said that the project aims to enhance connectivity and road safety along the Zinder-Agadez Road section and improve access to basic socioeconomic infrastructure for selected communities in that road section.
However, according to the statement: “UNASEL and Mr. Mamu presented false experience documents in a prequalification application to qualify for a contract under the project. This was a fraudulent practice under the World Bank’s sanctions framework.”
“The debarments make UNASEL and Mr. Mamu ineligible to participate in projects and operations financed by Bank Group institutions. The debarments are part of two settlement agreements under which UNASEL and Mr. Mamu admit culpability for the underlying sanctionable practices,” it added.
The statement further said: “Per the Bank Group Sanctioning Guidelines, the settlement agreements provide for a reduced period of debarment in light of UNASEL and Mr. Mamu’s cooperation.
As a condition for release from sanction under the terms of the settlement agreements, UNASEL and Mr. Mamu commit to developing and implementing integrity compliance measures that reflect the relevant principles set out in the Bank Group Integrity Compliance Guidelines, and Mr. Mamu further agrees to complete corporate ethics training.
UNASEL and Mr. Mamu also commit to continue to fully cooperate with the Bank Group’s Integrity Vice Presidency.
“The debarments of UNA SEL and Mr. Mamu qualify for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions that was signed on April 9, 2010.”
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