The Airport Police Command in Lagos has arrested a 20-year-old suspect concerned in a romance and movie star fraud that allegedly defrauded victims in america of over N1 billion.
The disclosure was contained in an announcement issued by ASP Mohammed Adeola, Police Public Relations Officer, Airport Police Command, Lagos, on Tuesday, sixth January 2026.
The suspect, recognized as Essien Emmanuel Akpama, was apprehended whereas trying to board a flight out of Lagos State.
What the Police is saying
In accordance with the assertion, the arrest adopted months of intelligence-led surveillance and monitoring based mostly on credible info.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Akpama, who beforehand resided in Calabar, relocated to Lagos on twenty third February 2024, from the place he allegedly coordinated and executed a number of fraudulent schemes.
“The Nigeria Police Power, Airport Police Command, in its sustained efforts to fight transnational crimes and forestall the usage of Nigerian airports as escape routes for prison parts, has arrested a infamous movie star rip-off and romance fraud suspect answerable for defrauding a number of victims in america of America of over N1,000,000,000 (one billion naira), which on conversion quantities to over a million United States {dollars}.
“The suspect, Essien Emmanuel Akpama, male, aged 20, was arrested on fifth January, 2026, by operatives of the Anti-Fraud Unit of the Airport Police Command whereas trying to board a flight out of Lagos State,” the assertion learn partly.
The case has been transferred to the Nigeria Police Power Particular Fraud Unit (NPF-SFU) for additional investigation, and the suspect shall be arraigned in court docket upon completion of the investigations.
Particulars of the alleged scams and recovered gadgets
The assertion famous that in a single highlighted case, Akpama reportedly deceived a 47-year-old feminine sufferer within the U.S. into transferring a million U.S. {dollars} below the pretext of buying property in Florida for an orphanage, utilizing a cryptocurrency scheme known as “BullRun 2.0,” previously “4 Manner Mirror Cash.”
In one other occasion, he allegedly defrauded a 70-year-old U.S. sufferer of N25,709,400 (about $18,000) via purchases of present playing cards, high-end cellular gadgets, and laptop tools, which have been shipped to Nigeria at his course.
Gadgets recovered in reference to the case embody a MacBook Professional 14-inch, an iPhone 17 Professional Max, and three Google Pixel gadgets, collectively valued at N8,141,367. Investigators famous that the suspect posed as a 60-year-old orthopedic surgeon working with the United Nations in Nigeria, claiming the gadgets have been needed for safe communications together with his victims.
The Commissioner of Police, Airport Police Command, CP Ogunbode Olufunke, reaffirmed the Command’s dedication to stopping prison parts from exploiting airport corridors to evade justice. She emphasised that intelligence-driven operations would proceed to detect, disrupt, and dismantle prison networks working inside Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem.
What it’s best to know
The arrest of Essien Emmanuel Akpama follows intensified efforts by authorities at airports over the previous few months to fight transnational crimes and forestall the usage of airport corridors to evade justice.
In December 2025, Nigerian Customs intercepted undeclared foreign exchange price about N2.28 billion from an Austrian nationwide at Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport (MMIA) as he tried to board a Dubai-bound flight.
Different notable seizures over the previous months embody $420,900, £5,825, and thousands and thousands in CFA francs at Kano Airport in July 2025; $49,000 undeclared from a Dubai-bound passenger at MMIA; and $578,000 recovered final 12 months from one other traveller.
These intelligence-driven operations proceed to detect, disrupt, and dismantle prison networks working inside and round Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem.
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