The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has returned $23,000 recovered from an alleged international romance scam to the British High Commission in Abuja, marking another cross-border cybercrime crackdown.
The funds were traced to Achufusi Obioma Ikenna, a Nigerian suspect accused of defrauding a resident of the Cayman Islands through an online romance scam.
In a statement issued on Friday, Benjamin Hundeyin, the Force Public Relations Officer, said the case was handled by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja following a formal request from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service.
According to the police, intelligence-led investigations led to the arrest of the suspect and the recovery of the stolen funds.
The recovered $23,000 was formally handed over to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service through the British High Commission in Abuja, represented by Shaun McLeary, for onward delivery to the victim.
“The successful repatriation followed the completion of all necessary documentation and close collaboration with international partners,” Hundeyin said.
He added that the suspect will be arraigned in court at the conclusion of investigations.
The police described the operation as evidence of Nigeria’s growing role in tackling transnational cybercrime, especially online fraud schemes targeting foreign victims.
The Cayman Islands, a self-governing British overseas territory in the western Caribbean, frequently cooperates with UK and international law enforcement agencies on cybercrime cases.
