The Nigeria Police Force, through the Airport Police Command, has apprehended a 20-year-old man over his alleged involvement in an international romance and celebrity fraud scheme said to have cost several victims in the United States more than N1 billion.
The suspect, identified as Essien Emmanuel Akpama, was arrested on January 5 by operatives of the command’s Anti-Fraud Unit while he was attempting to depart Lagos State by air.
In a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, Mohammed Adeola, the arrest was the result of months of intelligence-driven monitoring designed to stop criminal suspects from exploiting Nigerian airports as escape channels.
Initial investigations indicated that Akpama, who previously resided in Calabar, Cross River State, relocated to Lagos on February 23, 2024. From there, he allegedly planned and executed multiple fraudulent operations targeting foreign nationals.
Police alleged that in one case, the suspect defrauded a 47-year-old woman in the United States of $1 million by convincing her to invest in a supposed plan to purchase property in Florida for an orphanage. The money was reportedly obtained through a cryptocurrency investment scheme known as “BullRun 2.0,” formerly referred to as “4 Way Mirror Money.”
According to the police statement, Akpama used a celebrity scam tactic to deceive the victim into transferring the funds, which were then diverted for fraudulent purposes.
Further findings revealed that the suspect also allegedly defrauded another American victim, a 70-year-old woman, of N25,709,400 (approximately $18,000). The money was reportedly spent on gift cards, mobile phones, and computer equipment that were shipped to Nigeria on his instructions.
Recovered items from the suspect include a 14-inch MacBook Pro, an iPhone 17 Pro Max, two Google Pixel 10 Pro XL phones, and one Google Pixel 10 Pro, with an estimated combined value of N8,141,367.
Investigators said Akpama posed as a 60-year-old orthopedic surgeon attached to the United Nations in Nigeria, claiming the devices were necessary for secure official communication.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Airport Police Command, Ogunbode Olufunke, reiterated the command’s resolve to tackle transnational crimes and curb the misuse of airport facilities by criminal networks.
She noted that intelligence-led operations would remain central to efforts aimed at dismantling criminal syndicates operating within Nigeria’s aviation environment.
The matter has since been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force Special Fraud Unit for further investigation, after which the suspect will be charged to court.