A 20-year-old Nigerian has been arrested at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, over alleged involvement in large-scale fraud targeting victims in the United States, with losses estimated at over ₦1 billion.
The suspect was apprehended by the Anti-Fraud Unit of the Airport Police Command while attempting to travel out of Lagos. The arrest was confirmed by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Mohammed Adeola.
According to police, the arrest followed months of intelligence-led surveillance linking the suspect to multiple transnational fraud operations. The suspect, who previously resided in Calabar, relocated to Lagos on February 23, 2024, where he allegedly coordinated several fraudulent schemes aimed at U.S.-based victims.
Investigations revealed that the suspect defrauded a 47-year-old American woman of $1 million in 2024 under the guise of purchasing property in Florida for an orphanage. The funds were reportedly obtained through a cryptocurrency scheme called “BullRun 2.0”, formerly known as “4 Way Mirror Money.”
Police also alleged that he defrauded another U.S. victim, a 70-year-old woman, of $18,000 (approximately ₦26 million). The schemes reportedly involved convincing victims to buy gift cards, high-end mobile phones, and computer equipment, which were shipped to Nigeria under his instructions.
The suspect allegedly impersonated a 60-year-old orthopedic surgeon affiliated with the United Nations in Nigeria, claiming the devices were needed to maintain secure communications 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
One Google Pixel 10 Pro
The estimated total value of these items is ₦8,141,367.
Mrs Olufunke Ogunbode, Commissioner of Police at the Airport Command, reiterated the commitment to preventing airports from being used as escape routes by criminals and emphasized the importance of intelligence-driven policing.
The suspect and the case file have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force Special Fraud Unit for further investigation, after which he is expected to be charged to court.
