A Nigerian national has been arrested, arraigned, and remanded in custody following a major cybercrime investigation by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), the Ghana Police Service, INTERPOL, and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The suspect, Aderinsola Oluwanifemi Adeleye, who operates a cement block manufacturing business and resides at Oyarifa in Accra, had come under the intelligence radar of both INTERPOL and the FBI over suspected transnational cyber-enabled financial crimes linked to compromised United States Citi Bank debit cards.
How the scheme worked
According to a brief from the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), the case began on June 25, 2026, when the manager of the Haatso Shell Filling Station reported to police that Shell Headquarters had received a complaint from Ecobank Ghana concerning suspicious Point of Sale (POS) transactions carried out using two Citi Bank debit cards issued in the United States.
Investigators traced the unauthorised transactions to POS terminals at the Haatso Shell Filling Station and Osu Total Filling Station. Two fuel pump attendants were arrested and, during interrogation, revealed that Adeleye and an accomplice had repeatedly visited the stations, using Citi Bank debit cards through mobile devices to process fraudulent transactions.
According to investigators, the scheme worked by processing fictitious fuel purchases through POS terminals. Once the transactions were authorised, Adeleye received cash equivalent to the purported fuel purchase rather than actual fuel — effectively converting stolen card funds into cash.
Later that same evening, at approximately 8:00 p.m., Adeleye allegedly returned to the Haatso Shell Filling Station to conduct another transaction. He was immediately recognised by the two pump attendants and arrested by police on the spot.
What was recovered
A search at the time of arrest led to the recovery of a Beretta pistol loaded with two rounds of 9mm live ammunition and a Citi Bank VISA debit card. A subsequent search of Adeleye’s office at AA Global Homes Construction Limited in Katamanso uncovered 15 rounds of live 9mm ammunition and one empty shell casing concealed in a drawer.
On June 27, 2026, police executed a search warrant at his residence in Oyarifa, recovering two personal mobile phones believed to have been used in the commission of the alleged offences. The devices have been retained for forensic examination.
His own account
In a cautioned statement, Adeleye admitted using the recovered Citi Bank card at both filling stations, claiming that an individual identified as Gail Oneara, said to reside in the United States, had sent him the card with an available balance of approximately US$10,000 for personal use. He said he had withdrawn or spent approximately US$8,000 from the card before his arrest.
Assets allegedly acquired with crime proceeds
Investigators allege that Adeleye invested the proceeds of the scheme in acquiring significant assets, including a four-bedroom storey building, a cement block manufacturing factory at Katamanso near Amrahia, and a Nissan ZNA pick-up vehicle — all suspected to have been purchased with proceeds of crime.
Law enforcement agencies are continuing investigations to identify and apprehend other members of the criminal network, trace additional assets, and establish the full extent of the fraudulent transactions. Forensic examination of the recovered electronic devices is expected to shed further light on the syndicate’s activities and possible international connections.
The CSA said the case highlights the growing sophistication of cyber-enabled financial crimes and the critical importance of intelligence-driven, inter-agency, and international cooperation in tackling transnational cybercrime.
