The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested nine suspects in Nigeria and seized 53 electronic devices in an international operation targeting cybercrime networks accused of stealing billions of dollars from Americans.
The operation, codenamed Operation Blackout, also led investigators to identify $11 million in funds across multiple countries that could potentially be frozen, FBI Director Kash Patel disclosed in a statement published on X on Sunday.
Patel said the operation targeted criminal networks operating across national borders and exploiting victims through scams that can wipe out personal savings. He credited Nigerian law enforcement agencies and partners in London for supporting the mission.
“Operation Blackout is taking the fight directly to the international cybercriminal networks stealing billions from Americans,” Patel said.
“These scam centres exploit innocent victims, steal life savings, and operate across international borders believing they are beyond the reach of law enforcement. They’re wrong.”
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The FBI did not identify the nine suspects in the statement cited in the report. It also did not specify the agencies involved in the Nigerian arrests, the locations of the operation, the individual offences under investigation or whether the suspects had been formally charged.
The distinction matters because an arrest does not establish guilt. Further details about the suspects and the evidence against them would clarify the scale of the alleged network and the role each individual is suspected of playing.
The seizure of 53 electronic devices could provide investigators with digital evidence relevant to the inquiry, while identifying potentially recoverable funds may help authorities pursue assets linked to suspected criminal activity. However, the FBI’s announcement did not establish that the entire $11 million had been frozen or recovered.
The operation also highlights the importance of cross-border cooperation in tackling online fraud. Suspects, victims, digital infrastructure and financial proceeds may be located in different countries, making coordination between law enforcement agencies essential to tracing transactions and building cases.
The development follows other cases involving Nigerians accused of cyber-enabled offences. In September, South African authorities handed six Nigerians over to FBI officials over allegations that they defrauded more than 100 women through romance scams.
In August, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) extradited two Nigerians to the United States over alleged online sexual exploitation and sextortion involving two teenage boys who later died by suicide.
The FBI also arrested 22 Nigerians in August 2025 over alleged involvement in financially motivated sextortion schemes linked to a rise in suicides among American teenagers.
These cases involve different alleged offences and should not be treated as evidence against Nigerians generally. They nevertheless underscore the human and financial consequences of online fraud, as well as the growing role of international investigations in pursuing suspects and tracing illicit proceeds.
Patel said the FBI would continue pursuing criminals targeting Americans from abroad. Details on the nine arrests, possible charges and the status of the identified funds are expected to determine the next stage of the investigation.
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