A 20-year-old man has been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for allegedly orchestrating romance and celebrity scams that defrauded U.S. victims of over one billion naira (approximately $1 million).
According to a statement from the Airport Police Command, Essien Emmanuel Akpama was apprehended on January 5, 2026, while attempting to board an international flight, following months of intelligence-led surveillance.
The suspect, who relocated to Lagos from Calabar in February 2024, is accused of executing sophisticated fraud schemes. In one instance, he allegedly convinced a 47-year-old U.S. woman to transfer $1 million for a fake orphanage property purchase in Florida through a cryptocurrency platform called “BullRun 2.0.”
In another case, he reportedly defrauded a 70-year-old American of ₦25.7 million ($18,000) by directing the victim to purchase and ship high-end electronics, including iPhones and laptops, to Nigeria. Police recovered several of these devices, collectively valued at over ₦8 million.
Akpama posed as a 60-year-old UN orthopedic surgeon to gain his victims' trust, claiming the devices were for secure communications. The case has been transferred to the Special Fraud Unit for further investigation.
Commissioner of Police Ogunbode Olufunke reaffirmed the Command's commitment to preventing criminals from using airports as escape routes, highlighting a series of recent currency seizures at Nigerian airports as part of ongoing intelligence-driven operations.