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The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre has commenced the profiling of a Nigerian socialite, Nzube Ikeji, who allegedly posed as the Dubai Crown Prince to defraud a Romanian woman, simply identified as Laura.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the NPF National Cybercrime Centre, Uche Ifeanyi, disclosed this while speaking with Saturday PUNCH on Friday, noting that investigations had been intensified following a review of information circulating in the media.
A viral documentary published on Wednesday by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project alleged that Ikeji impersonated the Dubai Crown Prince in a romance and humanitarian investment scam that reportedly cost the victim about $2.5m.
According to the report, the alleged fraud began about three years ago after Laura was contacted on LinkedIn by an account claiming to belong to the Dubai Crown Prince.
The documentary further alleged that internal disagreements among members of the syndicate later led to the exposure of the scheme.
It claimed that one of the aggrieved accomplices eventually reached out to Laura, disclosed the true identity of the impersonator as Nzube Henry Ikeji, and sent her a video purportedly showing him at a newly acquired mansion.
The documentary team was also said to have travelled to Abuja, where they met a journalist, Chikezie Omeje, to assist in tracking the alleged impersonator.
Using Ikeji’s Instagram account and that of his wife, the team reportedly succeeded in locating him.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing on Thursday, Ifeanyi said the police had begun analysing the documentary while awaiting formal contact from the YouTuber or the producers.
However, speaking further with Saturday PUNCH, the commissioner said investigators were still at the profiling stage as they worked to gather more evidence to substantiate the allegations.
“We’re still doing the profiling. The only information available to us so far is what we obtained from social media because there has been no direct complaint from the woman involved or from the documentary producers. We are trying to get our facts right,” Ifeanyi said.
When asked whether profiling of the accused had commenced, he replied, “Yes, we are doing that already.”
He added that once sufficient evidence is established, the police would take steps towards a possible arrest of the Nigerian socialite.
