How a Nigerian Man Posing as Dubai Crown Prince Allegedly Defrauded a Romanian Businesswoman of $2.5 Million

A Nigerian man, Nzube Henry Ikeji, is accused of impersonating the Crown Prince of Dubai to defraud a Romanian businesswoman of more than $2.5 million in what investigators describe as a long-running romance and investment scam. The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) traced the scheme over several years, documenting how Ikeji allegedly exploited social media and staged financial transactions to gain his victim’s trust.

According to the investigation, the woman, identified only as Laura, was first contacted on LinkedIn by an account claiming to belong to the Dubai Crown Prince. The impostor told her he intended to fund a humanitarian project in Romania and wanted to channel the investment through her. Over time, their professional exchanges developed into what Laura later described as a romantic relationship, with the impersonator regularly communicating via social media platforms.

The scheme escalated when the impostor said he would appoint a financial manager in London to help Laura create a bank account for the supposed humanitarian funds. Laura travelled to London for a meeting with the man introduced as the prince’s financial manager. During the meeting, she asked a business associate to discreetly take a photograph of him. Shortly afterward, she received login details to a British bank account that appeared to hold over £200,000.

When Laura attempted to withdraw part of the funds, she was told via email that a substantial fee had to be paid before access would be granted. She later discovered that the account was a clone and the balance was fictitious. Believing the transactions were legitimate, she transferred over $2.5 million before noticing irregularities and realizing that the operation was fraudulent.

Investigators found that Ikeji’s alleged accomplices eventually disagreed over how to divide the proceeds of the scam. Two of them reportedly contacted Laura directly and disclosed the details of the fraud, including the real identity of the man posing as the Dubai Crown Prince. Laura confronted the impostor, who dismissed the claims as an attempt to create conflict between them. She later received a video showing Ikeji at what appeared to be a newly acquired mansion in Abuja, confirming some of the information provided by the accomplices.

OCCRP investigators, with the help of Abuja journalist Chikezie Omeje, traced Ikeji using posts from his and his wife’s Instagram accounts. The social media accounts displayed his extravagant lifestyle, including luxury shopping trips to London, purchases of designer watches and vehicles, and videos of him spraying cash at a music concert in Asaba. A post by his wife about their new mansion in Abuja provided the first concrete lead to his location. By comparing the images and videos on social media with properties in a major real estate development, the journalist was able to locate the residence. When approached at the property, Ikeji denied knowing Laura and questioned the journalist’s sources, referring further inquiries to his lawyer.

The investigation also revealed a United Kingdom connection. Laura reported the matter to UK authorities, submitting the photograph taken of the alleged financial manager during the London meeting. The man was later identified as Martins Abhulimhen. UK police informed her that Abhulimhen was under investigation for suspicious funds, which investigators say were subsequently transferred to Ikeji’s account in Nigeria.