Police operatives in Lagos have arrested a 20-year-old suspect, Essien Emmanuel Akpama, in connection with an alleged international romance fraud said to involve more than N1 billion.
Gatekeepers News reports that Mohammed Adeola, spokesperson of the airport police command, Lagos, confirmed the arrest on Tuesday. He said Akpama was apprehended on Monday, January 5, while trying to board a flight out of the country.
According to Adeola, the operation followed months of intensive intelligence-led surveillance and monitoring based on credible information.
Investigators alleged that the suspect targeted victims in the United States through romance and celebrity-related scams, with total losses estimated at over one million dollars. Police said Akpama coordinated the schemes from Lagos after relocating from Calabar, Cross River State, in early 2024.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect, who previously resided in Calabar, Cross River State, relocated to Lagos State on February 23, 2024, from where he coordinated and executed several fraudulent schemes.
Adeola said one of the cases involved a 47-year-old woman in the US who was allegedly persuaded to transfer $1 million under the pretext of buying property in Florida for an orphanage. The funds were reportedly moved through a cryptocurrency platform known as ‘BullRun 2.0’,previously called ‘4 Way Mirror Money’.
Police further alleged that Akpama posed as a 60-year-old orthopaedic surgeon working with the United Nations in Nigeria, claiming specialised devices were required to maintain secure communication with his victim.
In another case, the suspect allegedly obtained N25,709,400, equivalent to about $18,000, from a 70-year-old woman in the US through gift cards and electronic devices shipped to Nigeria at his request.
Items recovered from the suspect include a MacBook Pro, an iPhone, and several high-end mobile phones, with an estimated value of over N8 million.
The police said the case has been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force special fraud unit for further investigation. Adeola added that the suspect will be charged in court after investigations are concluded.
