Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have apprehended 31 individuals suspected of engaging in internet fraud during a coordinated operation carried out on Thursday, April 9, 2026.
The raid targeted a suspected cybercrime training centre, popularly referred to as a “Yahoo academy,” located in Becki Estate, Karu, within the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement released the same day, the commission disclosed that those arrested include two alleged kingpins alongside several trainees. The suspects were reportedly caught in the midst of undergoing lessons in internet fraud.
Recovered items from the scene include multiple mobile phones, 18 laptop computers, and other electronic devices believed to have been used in the illicit activities.
“Investigation by the EFCC revealed that some of the interns were lured all the way from Benue State by the academy proprietors with the promise of job offers, but upon settling down at the facility, were handed communication devices, computers and software, setting the stage for their training in cyber fraud.
“To enforce compliance and dedication, the proprietors house the recruits in the academy and restrict their movements strictly within the perimeters of the facility and forcibly took possession of their mobile phones, thus totally cutting them off from the outside world.
“Furthermore, corporal punishment was the order of the day, with heavy-handed physical assault meted out to interns who were seen to be recalcitrant,” the statement said.
The commission added that the suspects will be prosecuted upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.
