A 20-year-old Nigerian has been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, over alleged involvement in large-scale fraud targeting victims in the United States, with losses estimated at over one billion naira.
The suspect was apprehended by operatives of the Anti-Fraud Unit of the Airport Police Command while attempting to travel out of Lagos.
The arrest was confirmed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Mohammed Adeola.
Adeola said the arrest followed months of intelligence-led surveillance based on credible information linking the suspect to several transnational fraud operations.
According to the police, the suspect, who previously lived in Calabar, relocated to Lagos on February 23, 2024, from where he allegedly coordinated multiple fraudulent schemes aimed at victims in the U.S.
Investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly deceived a 47-year-old American woman into transferring one million dollars in 2024 under the pretext of purchasing property in Florida for an orphanage.
The funds were reportedly obtained through a cryptocurrency scheme known as “BullRun 2.0,” formerly referred to as “4 Way Mirror Money.”
The police also alleged that the suspect defrauded another victim, a 70-year-old woman in the U.S., of 18,000 dollars, equivalent to about N26 million.
Adeola said the suspect carried out the fraud by inducing victims to purchase gift cards, high-end mobile phones and computer equipment, which were subsequently shipped to Nigeria at his instruction.
He added that the suspect allegedly impersonated a 60-year-old orthopedic surgeon affiliated with the United Nations in Nigeria, claiming the devices were required to maintain secure communication channels 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 an estimated total value of N8,141,367.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Airport Command, Mrs Olufunke Ogunbode, reaffirmed the command’s resolve to prevent criminal elements from using airports as escape routes, stressing the importance of intelligence-driven policing.
Adeola said the suspect and the case file have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force Special Fraud Unit for further investigation, after which the suspect will be charged to court.