The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre is investigating allegations that a Nigerian socialite posed as the Crown Prince of Dubai to defraud a foreign victim of millions of dollars.
CP Uche Ifeanyi, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the NPF National Cybercrime Centre, stated at a press briefing on Thursday that the police are already reviewing media reports on the case.
“I tell you, we were able to intercept that case that is actually trending now. Just this morning, I summoned my people to conduct a profiling and analysis of the facts that we’ve seen,” Ifeanyi said.
He mentioned that the police had yet to be formally contacted by the YouTuber or documentary producers behind the report, adding that investigators were relying on publicly available information while the analysis continued.
“We’ve not been contacted by the YouTuber, so what we have on the ground is information that is already out there in the media. We are analyzing this, and we’re going to do justice to it,” he said.
The cybercrime chief emphasized that the police would treat the matter with utmost seriousness, regardless of whether it originated from social media reports, formal petitions, or intelligence from digital content creators.
“It’s a very serious issue, and the Nigeria Police Force cannot sweep it under the carpet. Whether it’s coming from a YouTuber or a petition, it’s a complaint, and we’re going to treat it seriously,” he added.
Ifeanyi stated that the police have previously worked with YouTubers and digital content creators to resolve cybercrime cases, including investment fraud.
He cautioned Nigerians to be wary of online investment schemes that offer unrealistic returns and create false urgency to pressure victims.
“When an investment looks too good, people should ask questions. If you suspect any, report to the Office of the Inspector General of Police, and we will do justice to it,” he said.
The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project’s viral documentary claimed that a Nigerian named Nzube Henry Ikeji impersonated the Dubai Crown Prince in a romance and humanitarian investment scam that reportedly cost a Romanian businesswoman named Laura approximately $2.5 million.
According to the investigation, the fraud began approximately three years ago when the victim was contacted on LinkedIn by an account purporting to belong to the Dubai Crown Prince.
It further claimed that internal conflicts among the suspects later exposed the operation.
According to the article, one of the disgruntled partners eventually contacted Laura and revealed the true identity of the fictitious Dubai Crown Prince, naming him Nzube Henry Ikeji, as well as sending her a video of him at his newly acquired mansion.
The documentary team reportedly traveled to Abuja to meet with journalist Chikezie Omeje to assist in tracking down the accused impostor.
The crew was able to locate Ikeji using both his Instagram account and his wife’s.
