Breaking: Authorities Arrest Nigerian Socialite Who Allegedly Posed as Prince to Scam Woman of $2.5m
- Nigerian socialite Nzube Henry Ikeji has been arrested for an alleged $2.5 million fraud, reportedly posing as a Dubai Crown Prince
- OCCRP investigation linked Ikeji to a mindboggling romance scam targeting a Romanian businesswoman
- Ikeji denied the allegations, claiming there had been a misrepresentation and insisting that he will protect his reputation
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - A Nigerian socialite, Nzube Henry Ikeji, has been reportedly arrested by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly posing as the Crown Prince of Dubai to defraud a Romanian businesswoman of $2.5 million in a romance and humanitarian investment scam.
The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), whose investigation exposed the 31-year-old, shared the update on Monday, March 16, 2026.
Source: Twitter
Legit.ng recalls that in a documentary published by OCCRP, the fraud started around 2023 when the Romanian businesswoman, identified as Laura, was contacted on LinkedIn by a user claiming to be the Dubai Crown Prince.
The OCCRP investigation said the impersonator told the woman about his desire to invest in a humanitarian project in Romania through her.
The report said that the two started conversing on social media, which led to a sort of romantic relationship.
OCCRP disclosed in an update on Monday, March 16:
"Within a week of the release of an OCCRP documentary exposing an online fraud operation, Nigerian authorities arrested a man allegedly involved in the scheme, while another apparent victim of the same scam came forward in Romania.
"In our documentary, Exposed: Fake ‘Dubai Prince’ Tracked to Nigeria, reporters identified Nzube Henry Ikeji, 31, who was afterwards taken into custody.
"Charges have not been filed, a spokesman for Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crime Commission told OCCRP."
It added:
"Ikeji’s arrest came nearly a week after the video revealed how he allegedly posed as the real-life Crown Prince of Dubai, cultivating a romance that defrauded $2.5 million from Laura, a Romanian businesswoman."
Source: Twitter
Furthermore, OCCRP stated that another "apparent victim of the same online scam" has emerged.
Ana, who is also Romanian, presented Context.ro with documents indicating she was targeted by the same operation that left Laura in debt.
It is common for romance scammers to impersonate the Crown Prince of Dubai in a variation of the classic romance scam, which involves an impersonator cultivating an online relationship with a victim with the goal of milking them for as much money as possible before they realise they have been swindled.
Ikeji denies $2.5m scam allegations
Meanwhile, Ikeji has described the accusations as a concerted attempt to ruin his reputation.
Ikeji spoke with AIT on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, rejecting claims that he defrauded a Romanian woman of millions of dollars and saying the matter was being misrepresented in public discourse.
The accused said the funds involved in the matter were paid into his account in naira and questioned the motive behind how the allegations were being spread.
The embattled socialite did not provide documentary evidence to support his claims, but insisted the narrative being circulated was damaging his personal and professional life.
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VDM accuses comedian of money laundering
Legit.ng previously reported that VDM alleged that a well-known Nigerian comedian approached him to help launder ₦700 million through his NGO.
In a video posted online, the critic claimed the comedian told him about the scam proposal. According to VDM, the
Source: Legit.ng
