By Obinna Uballa
A Nigerian socialite, identified as Nzube Henry Ikeji, is accused of posing as the Crown Prince of Dubai in an elaborate romance and investment scam that saw a Romanian businesswoman defrauded of $2.5 million. The allegations were detailed in an investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
According to the investigation detailed in a video, the scheme began about three years ago when the Romanian businesswoman, identified only as Laura, was contacted on LinkedIn by a user claiming to be the Dubai Crown Prince. The impersonator expressed interest in investing in a humanitarian project in Romania through her.
Over time, Laura and the alleged impostor developed a relationship online, which took on a romantic tone. The scam escalated when the impostor asked Laura to meet his “financial manager” in London to help set up a British bank account. During one meeting, Laura discreetly had her business partner photograph the man presented as the manager.
She was then given login details to a bank account showing a deposit of more than £200,000. However, she soon discovered that the account had been cloned and the funds were not real. When she attempted to withdraw money, she received an email demanding a large fee before any transfer could occur.
Despite the warning signs, Laura transferred over $2.5 million to the account before realizing something was wrong. The investigation revealed that disagreements among Ikeji’s alleged accomplices eventually exposed the scam, as two of them reached out to Laura to disclose the details.
When confronted, Ikeji allegedly dismissed the claims, telling Laura that the partners were trying to create enmity between them. Laura’s efforts to recover her money were unsuccessful. She later learned the impostor’s real identity, Nzube Henry Ikeji, after receiving a video from one of the accomplices showing him at a mansion he claimed to have recently acquired.
Tracking the impostor
OCCRP journalists, working with Nigerian reporter Chikezie Omeje, traced Ikeji to Abuja, Nigeria, using clues from his Instagram account and that of his wife, where he regularly flaunted his wealth. Videos posted online showed Ikeji travelling to London with his family, shopping at Louis Vuitton, buying luxury watches and cars, and throwing bundles of naira during a Davido concert in Asaba.
Although initially difficult to locate, the mansion Ikeji claimed to own in Abuja was eventually identified by cross-referencing Instagram posts with properties in the city. When approached by Omeje at the mansion, Ikeji denied knowing Laura and questioned how the journalist had accessed his residence.
When asked about the alleged financial manager, Martins Abhulimhen, and the funds sent from the UK, Ikeji redirected inquiries to his lawyer.
Further investigation revealed that Laura had approached United Kingdom authorities with the photograph taken of the so-called financial manager.
The UK police confirmed that Abhulimhen was under investigation for suspicious funds, which were linked to the money Laura had transferred. The funds were reportedly sent from Abhulimhen’s UK account to Ikeji’s account in Nigeria.
