Nzube Henry Ikeji, a Nigerian socialite, is alleged to have impersonated the Crown Prince of Dubai to defraud a Romanian businesswoman of $2.5 million in a romance-and-investment scam, according to an investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
The scam reportedly began three years ago when the Romanian businesswoman, identified as Laura, received a LinkedIn message from someone claiming to be the Dubai Crown Prince. The impersonator expressed interest in funding a humanitarian project in Romania and gradually built a relationship with Laura that took on a romantic dimension.
Laura was later introduced to a man presented as the Crown Prince’s financial manager in London. During one of their meetings, she discreetly had her business partner photograph him. She was then given access to a bank account showing a deposit of more than £200,000. It soon became clear, however, that the account was cloned and the money was fake. Attempts to withdraw funds triggered demands for large fees.
Despite the warning signs, Laura transferred over $2.5 million to the account before growing suspicious. The fraud began unraveling when disagreements arose among Ikeji’s alleged accomplices, and two of them disclosed the scheme to Laura. She confronted the man claiming to be the Dubai Crown Prince, who dismissed the accusations, suggesting his partners were trying to create conflict.
Laura eventually learned the impostor’s real identity, Nzube Henry Ikeji, after receiving a video from one of the accomplices showing him at a newly acquired mansion.
OCCRP journalists, in collaboration with Nigerian reporter Chikezie Omeje, tracked Ikeji to Abuja using clues from his Instagram account and that of his wife. The socialite had frequently flaunted his wealth online, posting videos of trips to London, luxury shopping, expensive cars, and even throwing bundles of naira at a Davido concert in Asaba.
The mansion he claimed to own in Abuja was eventually identified by comparing Instagram posts to real properties in the city. When confronted at the mansion, Ikeji denied knowing Laura and referred inquiries about the financial manager, Martins Abhulimhen, to his lawyer.
UK police later confirmed that Abhulimhen was under investigation for handling suspicious funds, which were linked to the money Laura had sent. Reports indicate that the funds were transferred from Abhulimhen’s UK account to Ikeji’s account in Nigeria.
The OCCRP investigation highlights the sophisticated nature of online romance and investment scams and underscores the challenges victims face in recovering their money.
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