Airport Police arrest romance fraud suspect Essien Emmanuel Akpama, accused of defrauding US victims of over N1 billion

The Nigeria Police Force, Airport Police Command, has arrested a 20-year-old suspect, Essien Emmanuel Akpama, in connection with an international romance and celebrity fraud scheme that defrauded victims in the United States of over N1 billion naira.

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The arrest, carried out on 5 January 2026 by operatives of the Anti-Fraud Unit while the suspect attempted to board a flight out of Lagos State, followed months of intelligence-led surveillance and monitoring.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Essien Emmanuel Akpama, formerly of Calabar, Cross River State, relocated to Lagos in February 2024 and coordinated multiple fraudulent schemes from the city.

In one case, a 47-year-old US victim was defrauded of approximately $1 million under the guise of purchasing property for an orphanage, with funds solicited through a cryptocurrency scheme known as “BullRun 2.0,” previously called “4 Way Mirror Money.”

Investigators further revealed that another US victim, aged 70, lost N25,709,400 (about $18,000) through purchases of gift cards, mobile devices, and computer equipment, which were shipped to Nigeria under the suspect’s direction.

Recovered items included a MacBook Pro 14-inch, an iPhone 17 Pro Max, and multiple Google Pixel devices, valued at N8,141,367.

During the scams, the suspect allegedly posed as a 60-year-old orthopedic surgeon working with the United Nations in Nigeria, claiming the devices were necessary for secure communication with victims.

Commissioner of Police, Airport Police Command, CP Ogunbode Olufunke, Mnips, PhD, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to preventing criminal elements from exploiting airport corridors.

She emphasized ongoing intelligence-driven operations to detect, disrupt, and dismantle criminal networks within and around Nigeria’s aviation sector.

The case has been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force Special Fraud Unit for further investigation.