The Nigeria Police Force, Airport Police Command, has made a significant arrest in a major international fraud case, apprehending a young man accused of orchestrating celebrity and romance scams that defrauded victims in the United States of sums exceeding one billion naira.
Intelligence-Led Arrest at Lagos Airport
The suspect, 20-year-old Essien Akpama, was taken into custody on January 5, 2026. Operatives from the command's Anti-Fraud Unit intercepted him as he attempted to board a flight out of Lagos State. According to a statement from the command's spokesperson, ASP Mohammed Adeola, the arrest was the culmination of months of intensive, intelligence-driven surveillance based on credible information.
Modus Operandi and Multi-Million Dollar Schemes
Preliminary investigations indicate that Akpama, who originally lived in Calabar, Cross River State, moved to Lagos on February 23, 2024. From his new base, he coordinated several sophisticated fraudulent operations.
In one prominent 2024 case, using a celebrity scam method, he deceived a 47-year-old woman in the United States. The victim was persuaded to transfer one million US dollars under the false pretense of buying property in Florida for an orphanage. The funds were illicitly solicited through a cryptocurrency scheme known as ‘BullRun 2.0,’ which was previously called ‘4 Way Mirror Money.’
Police probes also uncovered that Akpama defrauded a second victim, a 70-year-old American woman, of a total of N25,709,400 (approximately $18,000 USD). This fraud was executed through the purchase of gift cards, high-end mobile devices, and computer equipment, which were then shipped to Nigeria at the suspect's instruction.
Recovered Evidence and Deceptive Persona
Authorities have recovered several high-value items connected to the case, including:
- One MacBook Pro 14-inch
- One iPhone 17 Pro Max
- Two Google Pixel 10 Pro XL devices
- One Google Pixel 10 Pro
The collective value of these recovered electronics is estimated at N8,141,367. Further investigation revealed that to gain the trust of his victims, Akpama adopted the false identity of a 60-year-old orthopedic surgeon working with the United Nations in Nigeria. He claimed the expensive devices were necessary to maintain secure communication channels.
The case has now been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force Special Fraud Unit (NPF-SFU) for deeper investigation. The suspect is expected to be arraigned in court once investigations are concluded.
