The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre has commenced an analysis of a viral documentary claiming that a Nigerian socialite impersonated the Crown Prince of Dubai to defraud a foreign national of millions of dollars.
CP Uche Ifeanyi, Commissioner of Police in charge of the centre, disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing, noting that officers had begun profiling and fact-checking the claims circulating online. He said the police had not been formally contacted by the documentary producers but were relying on publicly available information while their review continued.
“We’ve not been contacted by the YouTuber, so what we have on the ground is information that is out there in the media. We are analysing this and we’re going to do justice to it,” Ifeanyi said. He emphasized that the Nigerian Police Force treats all such matters seriously, whether originating from social media, petitions, or intelligence reports.
The documentary, produced by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, alleges that Nzube Henry Ikeji posed as the Dubai Crown Prince in a romance and humanitarian investment scam. The report claims the scheme defrauded a Romanian businesswoman, identified as Laura, of approximately $2.5 million.
According to the report, the fraud began three years ago after the victim was contacted via LinkedIn by an account claiming to belong to the Dubai Crown Prince. Disputes among the suspects later exposed the scheme, with one partner reportedly revealing Ikeji’s identity and sending a video to the victim showing him at what he claimed was his newly acquired mansion.
The documentary team reportedly travelled to Abuja and, in collaboration with journalist Chikezie Omeje, traced the suspect through social media accounts linked to him and his wife. CP Ifeanyi also warned Nigerians to be cautious of online investment scams, noting that unrealistic returns and high-pressure tactics are common red flags.
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