A 20-year-old Nigerian has been arrested at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, over his alleged role in large-scale fraud targeting U.S. citizens, with estimated losses exceeding one billion naira.
The suspect was apprehended by the Anti-Fraud Unit of the Airport Police Command while attempting to leave the country. The arrest was confirmed in a statement on Tuesday by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Mohammed Adeola.
Adeola explained that the arrest followed months of intelligence-led surveillance, based on credible information linking the suspect to multiple international fraud schemes.
The suspect, who formerly resided in Calabar, reportedly moved to Lagos on February 23, 2024, from where he allegedly coordinated several fraudulent operations aimed at U.S.-based victims.
Investigations indicate that the suspect deceived a 47-year-old American woman into transferring one million dollars in 2024, under the guise of buying property in Florida for an orphanage. The funds were allegedly obtained through a cryptocurrency platform known as “BullRun 2.0”, previously called “4 Way Mirror Money.”
Police further revealed that another U.S. victim, a 70-year-old woman, was defrauded of $18,000 (approximately N26 million).
The suspect is accused of instructing victims to purchase gift cards, high-end smartphones, and computer equipment, which were then shipped to Nigeria under his direction. Adeola said the suspect also impersonated a 60-year-old orthopedic surgeon connected to the United Nations in Nigeria, claiming the devices were necessary to maintain secure communication with the victims.
Items recovered from the suspect include a 14-inch MacBook Pro, an iPhone 17 Pro Max, two Google Pixel 10 Pro XL phones, and one Google Pixel 10 Pro, with a combined estimated value of N8,141,367.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Airport Command, Mrs Olufunke Ogunbode, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to stopping criminals from using airports as escape routes and highlighted the role of intelligence-led policing in achieving this.
ASP Adeola added that the suspect and the case file have been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force Special Fraud Unit for further investigation, after which the suspect will be charged to court.
