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Authorities Seize 1842 Devices in African-Wide Cybercrime Crackdown

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Authorities in seven African countries have arrested 306 suspects and seized 1842 devices in a sweeping international operation targeting cyber-enabled fraud and scams.

Authorities Seize 1842 Devices in African-Wide Cybercrime Crackdown

Dubbed Operation Red Card, the effort ran from November 2024 to February 2025, focusing on dismantling cybercrime networks that defrauded over 5000 victims through mobile banking fraud, investment scams and malicious messaging app schemes., according to infosecurity-magazine.com

In Nigeria, police arrested 130 suspects, including 113 foreign nationals, for running fraudulent investment schemes and online casinos.

Authorities found that criminals funneled illicit proceeds into digital assets to obscure their financial trails.

Investigations also uncovered signs of human trafficking, with some individuals coerced into participating in the scams.

Law enforcement seized: 26 vehicles; 16 houses; 39 plots of land; and 685 electronic devices

In Rwanda, 45 individuals were arrested for orchestrating a social engineering scam that defrauded victims of more than $305,000 in 2024.

Scammers posed as telecommunications employees and falsely claimed victims had won lotteries to extract sensitive information.

Others impersonated injured family members to request emergency financial assistance.

Authorities recovered $103,043 and seized 292 devices.

South African authorities arrested 40 individuals and confiscated over 1000 SIM cards, along with 53 desktop computers and towers linked to a sophisticated SIM box fraud scheme.

This setup allowed cybercriminals to disguise international calls as local ones, facilitating large-scale SMS phishing attacks.

 

 

In Zambia, law enforcement apprehended 14 members of a cyber syndicate specializing in malware attacks.

The criminals sent phishing messages containing malicious links, infecting victims’ devices and taking control of messaging and banking apps. This enabled them to access financial accounts and further spread fraudulent links.

The operation was carried out through INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC) initiative, which supports law enforcement efforts in combating cyber-threats.

The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office funded Operation Red Card under the AFJOC initiative, allocating £2.6m to enhance Africa’s law enforcement capabilities in detecting and preventing cybercrime.

The seven participating countries – Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, To and Zambia – continue to collaborate on intelligence-led cybercrime investigations.

“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,” commented Neal Jetton, Interpol’s director of the cybercrime directorate.

“The recovery of significant assets and devices, as well as the arrest of key suspects, sends a strong message to cyber-criminals that their activities will not go unpunished.”

 

 


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Coscharis Technologies, Huawei Unveil IdeaHub S3 Interactive Board in Nigeria

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Coscharis Technologies Limited, a leading Information Technology distribution company in the Sub-Saharan African market, in collaboration with Huawei, has officially launched the innovative Huawei IdeaHub S3 interactive board into the Nigerian market.

The unveiling ceremony, which attracted top industry stakeholders, partners, and technology enthusiasts, was held at the prestigious Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, in the heart of Nigeria’s commercial hub.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Coscharis Technologies Limited, Dr. Sunday Mukoro, appreciated guests for attending and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to introducing cutting-edge technologies into the Nigerian market to accelerate the country’s technological advancement.

Dr. Mukoro described the Huawei IdeaHub S3 as a next-generation smart collaboration device equipped with advanced features designed to enhance productivity, communication, and digital collaboration across businesses, educational institutions, and organizations.

To further excite participants at the launch, he announced a special one-off 20 percent discount for early bird orders placed during the event.

Representing Huawei, Charles Chen, Huawei Nigeria eKit Manager, reiterated Huawei’s dedication to delivering world-class technology solutions tailored to modern workplace and learning environments. He emphasized that the IdeaHub S3 reflects Huawei’s continuous innovation in smart office and collaborative technologies.

The Huawei IdeaHub S3 is available in 65-inch, 75-inch, and 86-inch variants and comes loaded with several advanced features, including ergonomic design, ultra-low latency performance, 4K dual-lens camera with 5x zoom capability, and superior image quality with zero colour cast technology.

Other notable features include a 24-microphone array with up to 15-meter sound pickup range, high-fidelity stereo sound system, 4K soft light screen, intelligent tracking with auto-crop view, Acoustic Baffle 2.0 technology, ultrasonic projection, app multiplier functionality, and enhanced BYOM/BYOD collaboration capabilities.

The event climaxed with the formal unveiling of the Huawei IdeaHub S3, led by Dr. Sunday Mukoro alongside executives from Huawei and the Coscharis Huawei team, marking another milestone in the advancement of smart collaborative technology solutions in Nigeria

 


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Nigeria is World Bank’s Third-Largest Borrower with $18.5Bn – IDA

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Nigeria has retained its position as the third-largest borrower from the International Development Association (IDA), the concessional lending arm of the World Bank, despite a slight decline in its debt exposure in the first quarter of 2026.

Nigeria is World Bank’s Third-Largest Borrower with $18.5Bn - IDA

According to the IDA’s March 2026 financial statements, Nigeria’s exposure stood at $18.5 billion as of March 31, 2026, down marginally from $18.7 billion recorded at the end of December 2025.

The $200 million decline represents a 1.1 per cent reduction over the three-month period.

However, on a year-on-year basis, Nigeria’s debt exposure increased significantly by $1.2 billion, or 6.9 per cent, from $17.3 billion recorded in March 2025.

The latest ranking places Nigeria behind Bangladesh and Pakistan among the World Bank’s largest IDA borrowers.

Data from the report showed that Bangladesh remained the largest borrower with an exposure of $22.7 billion, followed by Pakistan with $19.2 billion, while Nigeria ranked third with $18.5 billion.

Other major African borrowers include Ethiopia with $14.4 billion, Tanzania with $14.3 billion, and Kenya with $13.2 billion in outstanding exposure.

The report also revealed that the IDA’s total loans outstanding stood at $230.8 billion as of March 31, 2026, slightly below the $231.1 billion recorded at the end of December 2025, reflecting a mild moderation in the institution’s lending portfolio.

According to the IDA, loans classified under non-accrual status represented only 0.4 per cent of the total portfolio, while provisions for potential loan losses amounted to $6.3 billion, equivalent to about 2.0 per cent of underlying exposures.

Nigeria’s exposure accounted for roughly eight per cent of the IDA’s total loan portfolio and approximately 13.3 per cent of the combined exposure represented by the institution’s ten largest borrowing countries.

The IDA noted that its ten largest country exposures collectively accounted for about 60 per cent of total portfolio exposure as of March 2026, highlighting the concentration of concessional lending among a relatively small number of developing economies.

Despite the slight quarter-on-quarter decline, Nigeria’s debt profile with the World Bank continues to trend upward over the longer term.

The report showed that Nigeria’s exposure rose from $17.3 billion in March 2025 to $18.5 billion in March 2026, underscoring the country’s increasing reliance on concessional financing to support development priorities and economic reforms.

Similarly, Ethiopia’s exposure increased from $13.2 billion to $14.4 billion over the same period, while Tanzania’s exposure rose from $12.6 billion to $14.3 billion.

Bangladesh’s debt exposure climbed from $21.2 billion to $22.7 billion, while Pakistan’s increased from $18.3 billion to $19.2 billion.

Ghana also recorded an increase from $7.1 billion to $7.4 billion.

Nigeria’s position among the top borrowers reflects the scale of its infrastructure, social investment, and reform financing needs under the World Bank’s concessional lending framework.

The Federal Government is also currently engaging the World Bank for additional financing support.

 

 


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NCAA Suspends ‘No Pay, No Service’ Policy Against Indebted Airlines

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Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has suspended plans to enforce its proposed “no pay, no service” policy against domestic airlines owing statutory charges, following consultations with operators and concerns over rising operational costs in the aviation sector.

Director-General of Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, said the decision followed a review of prevailing challenges facing airlines, particularly the rising cost of Jet A1 aviation fuel.

The NCAA had earlier issued a memo on May 22 placing at least 11 domestic carriers on a “no pay, no service” list over outstanding debts owed to aviation agencies.

Affected airlines reportedly included Air Peace, Ibom Air, Overland Airways, Arik Air, United Nigeria Airlines, Max Air and Caverton Helicopters.

Industry sources said airlines immediately began discussions with the regulator after the directive was announced, leading to the temporary suspension of enforcement.

The NCAA clarified that the suspension did not amount to a cancellation or waiver of the debts, adding that all affected airlines remained responsible for settling their statutory obligations.

According to the authority, engagements with operators would continue to ensure compliance while avoiding disruptions to flight operations and passenger services.

The regulator also referenced earlier intervention measures approved by President Bola Tinubu, including a 30 per cent discount on outstanding charges owed by domestic airlines to aviation agencies.

The measure, it said, was introduced to cushion the impact of high aviation fuel costs and stabilise the sector.

The NCAA defended the five per cent Ticket and Cargo Sales Charge imposed on airlines, describing it as a statutory levy established under Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Act.

“The charge is not part of airline revenue or operating profit and should not be treated as such,” the authority stated.

It added that the agency operates largely on a cost-recovery basis and depends on remittances from operators to sustain regulatory oversight and aviation safety functions.

According to the NCAA, suspending the enforcement action was intended to balance regulatory compliance with the need to maintain operational stability in the aviation industry.

The authority reaffirmed its commitment to recovering all outstanding debts while supporting the long-term sustainability of domestic airline operations.


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