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The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre has begun analysing a viral documentary alleging that a Nigerian socialite posed as the Crown Prince of Dubai to defraud a foreign victim of millions of dollars.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the centre, CP Uche Ifeanyi, disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing, saying officers had commenced profiling and fact-checking of the claims circulating online.
“I tell you, we were able to intercept that case that is actually trending now. Just this morning, I summoned my people to conduct a profiling and analysis on the facts that we’ve seen,” Ifeanyi said.
He noted that the police had not been formally contacted by the YouTuber or documentary producers behind the report and were relying on information already in the public domain 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 on the media. We are analysing this and we’re going to do justice to it,” he said.
Ifeanyi stressed that the police would treat the matter seriously regardless of whether the allegations originated from social media content, petitions or intelligence from content creators.
“It’s a very serious issue, and the Nigerian Police Force cannot sweep it under the carpet. Whether it’s coming from a YouTuber or a petition, it’s a complaint and we’re going to treat it seriously,” he said.
The cybercrime boss also warned Nigerians about online investment scams, noting that unrealistic returns and pressure tactics were common red flags.
“When an investment looks too good, people should ask questions. If you suspect any, report to the Office of the Inspector General of Police, and we will do justice to it,” he said
The viral documentary, published by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, alleged that a Nigerian identified as Nzube Henry Ikeji impersonated the Dubai Crown Prince in a romance and humanitarian investment scam that reportedly cost a Romanian businesswoman, identified as Laura, about $2.5m.
The report claimed the fraud began about three years ago after the victim was contacted on LinkedIn by an account posing as the Dubai Crown Prince.
It added that disputes among the suspects later led to the exposure of the scheme, with one of the partners allegedly revealing Ikeji’s identity and sending the victim a video showing him at what he described as his newly acquired mansion.
The documentary team reportedly travelled to Abuja and, working with journalist Chikezie Omeje, traced the suspect through social media accounts linked to him and his wife.
