A Nigerian socialite, Nzube Henry Ikeji, has been accused of posing as the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to scam a Romanian woman out of millions of dollars in an elaborate romance fraud.
According to People’s Gazette, investigations by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed that Ikeji allegedly ran a syndicate targeting foreign women seeking love online.
The victim, identified only as Laura, said she was contacted on LinkedIn three years ago by a man claiming to be Dubai’s crown prince, who initially sought her advice on humanitarian projects before turning the interaction into a romantic relationship.
As the relationship deepened, Laura was persuaded to meet a supposed financial manager in London to help set up a Barclays account. The man, later identified by British Police as Martins Abhulimhen, allegedly posed under a false name and claimed to manage royal finances.
Laura was later given access to an online account showing about £202 million in her name. To withdraw the funds, she was repeatedly asked to pay fees, eventually sending about £2.5 million before realising the account was fake.
Internal disputes among the alleged scammers later exposed Ikeji’s identity to the victim. OCCRP journalists traced him to Abuja through his social media posts showcasing a lavish lifestyle, luxury cars, designer shopping trips, and multiple mansions.
When confronted, Ikeji denied the allegations but admitted knowing Abhulimhen, insisting the funds he received were donations to his foundation. A UK court has since seized £113,000 from Abhulimhen’s account for restitution to the victim, while Nigerian, British, and Romanian authorities continue investigations. No charges have been filed so far.
