Detectives in Kirinyaga County have arrested three Nigerian nationals for suspected cyber fraud and being in the country illegally.
The three were smoked out an apartment in Mwaliko Estate, Mwea after a tip off from members of the public who raised an alarm about their presence and “suspicious night activities” in the area.
Authorities said the suspects, Peter Chukwujekwu, Alazor Chukulute Sunday, and Nnalue Chiagozie Samwel were found in possession of 21 mobile phones, 79 SIM cards and several credit cards from different banks, in what detectives believe was a well-coordinated fraud network.
“Investigations have since revealed that the trio, who claim to be “running an online business,” are in the country illegally, their entry passes long expired, with no valid work permits. The three are currently cooling their heels in custody as investigators dig deeper into their network, tracing possible links to cross-border cybercrime syndicates,” DCI stated.
In the wake of increased online scams and fraud cases, authorities have raised alarm and urged members of the public to be more vigilant with their banking and transactions locally and across borders
Earlier this year, an Interpol-led operation led to the arrest of more than 300 suspects and seized 1,842 devices used to commit various cyber-related crimes across the continent.
The operation dubbed Red Card was conducted from November 2024 to February 2025, 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.
Cases of online fraud often go undetected and leave victims frustrated as perpetrators mask behind hidden identities and sophisticated schemes.
In a different incident, authorities in the coastal town of Nyali arrested three suspects who defrauded a British foreigner Ksh. 800, 000 in a love-related scam. The Brit lost his money after being invited for a rendezvous steamy time by a lady identified as Samira Mumbi Kiarie.
Soon after arriving and settling at the premises, two men stormed the house, one claiming to be Mumbi’s “husband” while the other one wielded a fake police ID card. They then coerced the foreigner to transfer Ksh. 800, 000 to different M-Pesa numbers before disappearing into the cover of a windy coastal night. They have since been arrested and arraigned in court.