A new investigation has shown how a Nigerian crime syndicate led by socialite Nzube Ikeji defrauded a Romanian woman of more than $2.5 million.
The investigation was conducted by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and published on Monday.
The scam was primarily carried out by Mr Ikeji, who posed as a Dubai Prince under the name, Sheikh Hamdan Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and his associate, Martins Abhulimhen, who posed as a financial manager with the name Matthew Cros.
According to OCCRP, Mr Ikeji contacted the Romanian businesswoman, who asked to be identified only by her first name, Laura, on LinkedIn, expressing interest in funding humanitarian initiatives in her home country.
The prince sought her guidance on which Romanian humanitarian organisations were most deserving of investment and financial support.
Then began a lengthy professional interaction that eventually evolved into a personal one.
Over time, it morphed into an online romantic relationship. This created an opportunity for an online romance scam, which led Mr Ikeji to propose marriage and persuade her to cover the costs of their engagement.
He then asked her to travel to London to meet his purported financial manager, Mr Abhulimhen, who falsely identified himself as Matthew Cros, to discuss opening a bank account and securing funding.
The British police would later identify “Matthew Cros” as an alias of Mr Abhulimhen.
According to OCCRP, the victim was given login credentials for an online account that showed a balance of about £202 million in her name. She was unaware that the account was fake and digitally doctored.
She paid an initial £7,000 to make withdrawals, but each time she tried to access the funds, the scammers demanded additional fees, pulling her deeper into the situation.
This is a pattern typical of advance‑fee scams, but the victim was unaware of it, and over time, she transferred roughly $2.5 million, believing the funds were legitimate.
The fraud operation, however, unravelled due to conflicts between the co-conspirators over how they split the money.
A member of the syndicate eventually reached Ms Laura and revealed the syndicate’s operations to her.
Mr Abhulimhen also later confirmed the information to her.
“He defrauded you of more than 3 million euros,” the scammers told Ms Laura.
The investigation also showed that Mr Ikeji and Mr Abhulimhen are both highly connected to prominent Nigerians, including Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and his wife, Nigerian billionaire Obi Cubana, and Arthur Eze.
They have also been pictured with the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; and the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, among others.
OCCRP traced Mr Ikeji to his Abuja residence and identified him and his wife, Confidence Ikeji.
When OCCRP presented him with their findings, he asked that questions regarding the operation of his crime syndicate be directed to his lawyers.
“I would prefer this question you are asking me now, you consult me in the office, or you meet me or meet my legal team,” he said.
