Cybercrime crackdowns; phone enforcement; data protection

1. Cybercrime: INTERPOL traces $2.4m to Nigerian crypto fraud scheme: INTERPOL traced over two point four million dollars in suspected proceeds from a Nigerian investment fraud scheme during Operation Serengeti III. The international crackdown resulted in one thousand four hundred sixty-two arrests across twenty-one countries. In Nigeria, authorities arrested a suspect linked to cryptocurrency laundering and another involved in phishing operations that harvested millions of email addresses. 2. NCC, Customs take phone enforcement drive to Nigeria’s borders: The Nigerian Communications Commission and Nigeria Customs Service are strengthening enforcement of Type Approval requirements for SIM-enabled devices. The agencies will reconcile import records and verify compliance for phones entering the country. Manufacturers and importers must submit International Mobile Equipment Identity information for verification before devices are sold, ensuring all imported hardware meets regulatory technical standards under the Nigerian Communications Act. 3. NCC outage records uncover fibre cuts, vandalism behind Nigeria’s network disruptions: Nigerian telecom networks face significant disruptions from fibre cuts, vandalism, and equipment failures, according to Nigerian Communications Commission records. Analysis of the Major Outage Reporting Portal shows recurring incidents in Lagos and Abuja. The regulator defines major outages as disruptions affecting at least five percent of subscribers or multiple local government areas, highlighting persistent infrastructure challenges across the country. 4. Sri Lanka turns to Nigeria for data protection regulatory lessons: Sri Lanka’s Data Protection Authority conducted a study tour of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission to learn from its regulatory framework. The delegation aimed to strengthen Sri Lanka’s data protection ecosystem by exchanging experiences on institutional development. Nigeria’s National Commissioner highlighted the Commission’s progress since the signing of the Nigeria Data Protection Act in twenty twenty-three.