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Advanced Fee Fraud: Kano state police deploys Digital platform to fight cybercrime
Zulaiha Danjuma
Hara, a healthcare worker in Kano, fell victim to a sophisticated scam on TikTok.
KANO FOCUS reports that, a scammer, posing as a married woman based in the US, with Saudi Arabian heritage, gained Hara’s trust.
“I was so excited when she sent me a message,” Hara recalled. “She seemed so kind and genuine, and we started talking about our shared interests. I didn’t think twice about trusting her.”
The scammer sent Hara a photo of a laptop, claiming she would send it to her, along with £9,000. Hara was convinced and sent N75,000 to a microfinance bank account to cover supposed shipping costs.
“I felt like I had won the lottery,” Hara said. “I couldn’t wait to receive the laptop and the money.”
However, when Hara realized she had been scammed, she felt devastated.
“I couldn’t sleep for days, thinking about how I had been so foolish,” she said. “I felt ashamed and anxious, wondering how I would pay my bills or provide for my family.”
This scamming technique is known as “Advanced Fee Fraud,” a situation where scammers request money from their victims before an item or goods is delivered to them or service rendered to them.
The prevalence of advanced fee fraud in Kano is alarming, with many cases going unreported.
Notable cases of advanced fee fraud scammers in Kano include Musa Lurwanu-Maje and Aliyu Hussaini.
Musa Lurwanu-Maje’s modus operandi involved creating fake personas on Facebook and WhatsApp, stealing pictures from random social media users and claiming them as his own.
By using these fake profiles, he deceived unsuspecting individuals, ultimately defrauding them.
Another notable example is the case of Aliyu Hussaini, who posed as a textile seller on Facebook.
He deceived a woman who ordered 14 textiles worth N100,000. Instead of delivering the ordered items, Hussaini sent her rags, defrauding her of her money.
In 2023, the Economic Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned a couple for a N410 million advanced fee fraud in Kano state. This high-profile case highlights the growing concern of advanced fee fraud in the region.
How the Police Force is fighting cyber fraud?
The Kano State Police Command has made numerous arrests of such social media related advanced fee fraud cases but wants to take its fight a notch higher.It is leveraging the federal police force’s digital platform that helps to report such crimes for swift action.
The Nigerian Police Force has a dedicated website specifically for reporting fraud and cybercrime.
The website offers users the ability to report online or social media fraud to the police force from the comfort of their phones and electronic devices.
The website is www.specialfraudunit.org.ng is managed by the NPF under its Special Fraud Unit and offers an essential information database for the police to combat cybercrime.
Various security agencies across Nigeria leverage on the information provided by this dedicated website to track perpetrators and support victims.
The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa said the outfit is happy with the support it is getting from the said digital portal.
SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa
He said in combating social media advanced fee fraud the police Anti-cyber crime and the anti-money laundering units at the Kano State Bompai Police Headquarters are working closely.
“These offices are enabled with modern equipments for policing activities to combat various issues of cybercrimes” he said
SP Kiyawa said aside intelligence gathering and sharing the officers of the Kano State Command Anti-cyber crime units are constantly receiving specialized training, especially in checkmating and investigating social media and internet related fraud.
“We have constant training at divisional levels, command level as well as in the commands department of criminal investigations. We also have an upcoming training on Artificial intelligence (AI) for officers in order for them to understand the emerging technologies and how to best navigate financial internet fraudsters and their schemes” he explained
The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer added that the command has dedicated hotlines where the public can call in to report social media fraud.
“We leverage social media a lot, we also have engagements with social media influencers who assist the command to trickle down the message for the need of online safety, detection of misinformation, disinformation, Mal information and fake news that can all possibly lead to fraud”
These efforts have yielded a number of public outcry about fraudulent individuals on their social media interactions that resulted in several arrests by the Kano State Police Command.
The Role of digital verification systems
A Financial Crimes and Data science expert, Dr. Umar Yakubu explained further that incorporating biometrics and the use of blockchain on emerging technologies will minimize the occurrence of financial crimes.
Dr. Umar Yakubu
“Biometrics is a great tool that aids security, with the world now moving away from biometric fingerprints to facial and iris biometrics, these are some of the great tools that can be adopted to enhance data security and identity verification.”
“Blockchains are also great tools as they help to enhance transparency thereby tracking transactions and verifying identities too.”
If only Hara had been aware that the photo on the TikTok account, supposedly belonging to a US-based Saudi Arabian woman, was actually a stolen image used by a scammer, she might have avoided the devastating experience of being defrauded.
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has become a crucial tool in combating financial fraud. Its reliable identity verification and transaction monitoring capabilities provide a secure foundation for online interactions, ensuring a safe and trustworthy environment for individuals to engage in financial and social activities.
Engaging social media companies in the fight
According to Dr. Umar Yakubu, social media companies must do more to help fight social media fraud.
“Social media platforms say if someone is below 16 or 18 they can’t sign into their platforms, but in reality, even 10-year-old children are able to open accounts,” Dr. Yakubu said. “This happens because these platforms do not demand proper identification.”
The ability to set up social media accounts without using personal pictures or a real name are among the issues which drive advanced fee fraud on social media, Dr. Yakubu explained.
“Social media offers people the ability to be anonymous, whereby they are able to generate other people’s pictures, use fake names or other people’s names to create fake accounts while posing as those individuals they don’t even know, which makes social media a hotspot for fraudsters.”
To mitigate these issues, Dr. Yakubu explains that the current structure, which is to simply fine social media platforms in cases where their platforms were used for financial fraud, is not enough.
“The penalties these platforms pay are nothing compared to the amount of money they make, so at the end of the day, the penalties are not deterrents enough for them to ensure that people do not have social media accounts until we put up the right and correct identity,” Dr. Yakubu said.
This story is produced under the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Fellowship of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and Co-Develop in partnership with Kano Focus online Newspaper.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Political allies and loyalists of former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Arc Aminu Dabo, have begun resigning from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State following his withdrawal from the ruling party.
KANO FOCUS reports that the supporters, operating under the political group Dabo Alheri Ne, reportedly include members across Kano State’s 44 local government areas.
Barely two days after Dabo announced his resignation from the APC, a prominent stakeholder of the group, Garba Zakiru Dambatta, said members had welcomed the decision and were showing solidarity by submitting their resignation letters to their respective ward party chairmen.
Dambatta, a former APC chairman in Dambatta Local Government Area, said the group’s members were disappointed with what they described as the prolonged marginalisation of Mr Dabo and his supporters within the party.
According to him, despite Mr Dabo’s contributions to the APC and efforts to strengthen the party and manage disagreements among its members, some key stakeholders had continued to sideline him and his loyalists in party activities.
Dambatta reaffirmed the group’s commitment to standing by Mr Dabo’s political decisions and supporting his future political journey.
He also urged the former NPA managing director not to succumb to political pressure or reverse his decision to leave the party.
“This step you have taken, we have the conviction that it is the beginning of a new chapter of goodness in your life,” Dambatta said.
Among the prominent members of the group identified as supporting Mr Dabo’s decision are Abba Rabee’u, a former Senior Special Assistant on Political Awareness; Almustapha Jilani Danmalam, a former Senior Special Assistant on Education; Jamilu Abdullahi Zangon-Mata, a former Senior Special Assistant on Entrepreneurship; and Fahd A. Dabo, a former Special Assistant on Youth Mobilisation.
The individuals reportedly served during the second term of former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The group also said several other party loyalists and supporters were backing Dabo following his resignation.
However, the statement did not provide the number of members who had formally resigned from the APC or indicate whether the party leadership had responded to the development.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Five players of Kano Pillars Amputee Football Club have been invited to the national camp of Nigeria’s Special Super Eagles ahead of the 2026 Amputee Football World Cup in Mexico.
KANO FOCUS reports that invited players are Isah Yusuf, Abba Musa, Habu Friday, Emanuel Betel and Usman Ahmed. They are currently in Abuja with the national team as preparations intensify for the global tournament.
The Team Manager of Kano Pillars Amputee Football Team, Jamilu Uba Adamu, disclosed this in an interview with Ashiru Rabiu Gidan Tudu, Information Officer of the Kano State Sports Commission.
Adamu described the invitation as recognition of the players’ dedication, discipline and outstanding performances.
He expressed confidence that the players would represent Kano State and Nigeria with honour at the championship.
According to him, the call-up also demonstrates Kano Pillars’ commitment to nurturing talented amputee footballers and contributing to the development of the sport in Nigeria.
The 2026 Amputee Football World Cup is scheduled to take place from November 13 to 22 in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico. A total of 24 countries, including seven African nations, are expected to participate.
The Executive Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Muhammad Tukur Babangida, congratulated the five players on their invitation, describing it as well deserved.
Babangida expressed confidence that they would justify the confidence reposed in them by the national team selectors.
He assured the players of the commission’s continued support and urged them to remain focused, disciplined and committed to making Kano State and Nigeria proud on the international stage.
Ibrahim Khalil
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Aminu Dabo, has resigned as the party’s caucus chairman in Dambatta Local Government Area and withdrawn his membership of the ruling party.
KANO FOCUS reports that Dabo, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), announced his resignation in a letter dated October 7, 2026, addressed to the APC chairman of Dambatta Gabas Ward.
In the letter, personally signed by him, Dabo said he took the decision after careful consideration of personal reasons and his future endeavours.
He confirmed his resignation during a telephone conversation from Abuja on Wednesday, saying he had formally submitted the letter to the appropriate party officials in Dambatta for necessary action.
“I remain grateful for the cordial relationship I enjoyed and appreciative of the experience gained during my time of service,” he said.
The former NPA managing director also thanked the party’s leadership for the opportunity and confidence reposed in him to contribute to its development and progress during his membership.
“I sincerely appreciate the support and opportunity I have received from the party leadership,” he added.
A statement issued by Abdullahi Othman, Media and Publicity Aide to Dabo Dabo, said the former NPA MD did not disclose further details about his reasons for leaving the APC in the resignation letter.
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