Operatives of the Airport Police Command have apprehended a 20-year-old suspect, Essien Emmanuel Akpama, accused of orchestrating an elaborate celebrity and romance fraud scheme that swindled victims in the United States of over N1 billion ($1 million).
The arrest was confirmed by the Police Public Relations Officer for the Airport Command, ASP Mohammed Adeola, who stated that Akpama was intercepted on January 5, 2026. The suspect was reportedly attempting to board a flight out of Lagos when he was nabbed by the Command’s Anti-Fraud Unit following months of intensive, intelligence-led surveillance.
Investigations by the police revealed that Akpama, originally a resident of Calabar, Cross River State, moved to Lagos in February 2024 to centralise his fraudulent operations. One of his most significant scores involved a 47-year-old American woman who was allegedly manipulated into transferring $1 million.
The suspect reportedly utilised a “celebrity scam” tactic, convincing the victim that the funds would be used to purchase property in Florida for an orphanage. The transaction was funnelled through a cryptocurrency scheme known as “BullRun 2.0,” previously branded as “4 Way Mirror Money.”
The suspect’s reach extended to a 70-year-old female victim in the U.S., who was allegedly defrauded of $18,000 (approximately N25.7 million). In this instance, the fraud was executed through the procurement of gift cards and high-end electronics, which were shipped to Nigeria under the suspect’s instructions.
To maintain the charade, Akpama reportedly posed as a 60-year-old orthopaedic surgeon working with the United Nations in Nigeria, claiming he needed the advanced technology to ensure secure communication.
During the arrest and subsequent search, police recovered a haul of luxury electronics valued at over N8.1 million. The items included a MacBook Pro 14-inch, an iPhone 17 Pro Max, and three high-end Google Pixel 10 devices.
Commissioner of Police for the Airport Command, CP Ogunbode Olufunke, Mnips, PhD, emphasised that this successful operation underscores the Command’s commitment to ensuring that Nigerian airports do not become safe havens or escape routes for international criminals.
She noted that the police would continue to utilise intelligence-driven strategies to dismantle criminal networks within the aviation sector.
The case has been officially transferred to the Nigeria Police Force Special Fraud Unit (NPF-SFU) for further processing. Authorities confirmed that Akpama will be arraigned in court as soon as the final investigations are concluded.
