INTERPOL arrests 11 terror suspects in Nigeria

Image

Eleven suspected terrorists, including senior members of various extremist groups, have been arrested in Nigeria in an international security operation coordinated by INTERPOL and the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation.

The operation, codenamed Operation Catalyst, was aimed at dismantling terrorism financing networks and other transnational crimes across Africa. Conducted between July and September 2025, the two-month exercise was jointly executed in six countries — Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, and South Sudan.

According to a statement released by INTERPOL and obtained by our correspondent on Thursday, the operation resulted in 83 arrests and the identification of 160 persons of interest linked to terrorism financing, money laundering, cyber-enabled fraud, and the illicit use of virtual assets.

The statement revealed that the 11 suspects arrested in Nigeria are believed to be high-level operatives with links to multiple terrorist groups operating within the country and the wider Sahel region.

“In Nigeria, the operation led to the arrest of 11 suspected terrorists, including high-level members of several terrorist groups,” INTERPOL said.

It added that investigators also uncovered a cryptocurrency-based Ponzi scheme masquerading as a legitimate online trading platform, which defrauded victims across at least 17 countries — including Cameroon, Kenya, and Nigeria — of more than $562m. Punch