The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced the arrest of nine suspects in Nigeria over alleged involvement in international cybercrime networks targeting Americans, alongside the seizure of 53 electronic devices.
FBI Director Kash Patel disclosed the development in a statement shared on his official X account on Sunday, October 25, 2026, describing the operation, codenamed Operation Blackout, as part of efforts to dismantle transnational criminal networks responsible for online fraud.
According to Patel, the operation also led to the identification of $11 million in funds across multiple countries that could potentially be frozen.
He said the targeted networks operated scam centres that exploited unsuspecting victims, stole their life savings and conducted fraudulent activities across international borders, believing they could evade law enforcement.
“Operation Blackout is taking the fight directly to the international cybercriminal networks stealing billions from Americans,” Patel stated.
He also commended Nigerian law enforcement agencies and their partners in London for their cooperation in the operation, warning that authorities would continue to pursue cybercriminals operating across borders.
The arrests in Nigeria formed part of a wider international enforcement exercise coordinated by the United States Department of Justice and its international partners. The broader operation resulted in 28 arrests across Nigeria and Ghana, the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices and the identification of more than 120 people believed to have been trafficked.
Authorities also reported the removal of more than 3.7 million scam-linked accounts, pages and groups from online platforms as part of efforts to disrupt the networks and their operations.
The operation highlights growing international efforts to tackle cyber-enabled fraud, including cryptocurrency investment scams, impersonation schemes and other online activities used to defraud victims across different countries.
The identities of the nine suspects arrested in Nigeria and the specific allegations against each of them were not disclosed in the announcement. They remain suspects, and any criminal liability would be determined through the applicable legal process.
