Three Nigerian men have been arrested in Mwaliko Estate, Mwea Town, Kenya, for alleged involvement in cyber fraud.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed that Peter Chukwujekwu, Alazor Chukulute Sunday, and Nnalue Chiagozie Samwe were apprehended on Wednesday following a multi-agency operation. The raid came after residents reported suspicious late-night activities in the suspects’ apartment.

A DCI statement said, “Three Nigerian nationals nabbed in Kirinyaga multi-agency raid. A well-coordinated multi-agency raid in Mwaliko Estate within Mwea town has blown the lid off a suspected cyber fraud ring operated by three Nigerian nationals.”

Authorities noted that the suspects, who claimed to be running an online business, were living in Kenya illegally without valid work permits.

This arrest is part of an ongoing trend of Nigerians being detained abroad for crimes including cyber fraud, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. In June 2023, 19 Nigerians were arrested in Nairobi for electronic fraud targeting local citizens.

The DCI added that the men, aged between 19 and 33, reportedly used social media to target victims, posing as online sellers offering goods shipped from abroad. “The fraudsters start by befriending you on social media (Facebook), and once you accept the friend request, they initiate a friendly chat that promises the victim goodies to be sent through DHL at the airport,” the agency explained.