The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Airport Police Command, has arrested a 20-year-old suspect, Essien Emmanuel Akpama, over the alleged defrauding of United States citizens of over ₦1 billion through cryptocurrency-related schemes and high-value electronic purchases.
Akpama was arrested on January 5, 2026 by operatives of the Command’s Anti-Fraud Unit while attempting to board a flight out of Lagos, police say. The arrest followed months of intelligence-led surveillance based on what authorities describe as credible information, as part of efforts to prevent Nigerian airports from being used as exit routes by suspected criminal networks.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect, who previously resided in Calabar, Cross River State, relocated to Lagos on February 23, 2024. From there, investigators say he coordinated multiple fraud schemes targeting foreign nationals.
In one case, police allege that Akpama deceived a 47-year-old woman in the United States into transferring $1 million under the guise of purchasing property in Florida for an orphanage. The funds were allegedly solicited through a cryptocurrency platform known as “BullRun 2.0,” previously called “4 Way Mirror Money.”
In one case, police allege that Akpama deceived a 47-year-old woman in the United States into transferring $1 million under the guise of purchasing property in Florida for an orphanage. The funds were allegedly solicited through a cryptocurrency platform known as “BullRun 2.0,” previously called “4 Way Mirror Money”.
Investigators also allege that the suspect defrauded a 70-year-old US woman of ₦25.7 million (about $18,000), using gift cards and purchases of high-end mobile phones and computer equipment. The items were reportedly shipped to Nigeria at his direction.
Among items recovered by police are a 14-inch MacBook Pro, an iPhone 17 Pro Max and multiple Google Pixel devices, collectively valued at more than ₦8 million, according to investigators.
Police say the suspect allegedly posed as a 60-year-old orthopaedic surgeon working with the United Nations in Nigeria, claiming the devices were required to maintain secure communications — a tactic investigators say reflects the level of sophistication involved in the schemes.
Ogunbode Olufunke, Commissioner of Police in charge of the Airport Police Command, says the arrest demonstrates the Command’s focus on intelligence-driven operations.
“The Command will continue to deploy intelligence-led strategies to detect, disrupt and dismantle criminal networks operating within and around Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem,” she says.
The case has been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force Special Fraud Unit (NPF-SFU) for further investigation. Police say the suspect will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of inquiries.
Authorities say the arrest highlights the increasing sophistication of cross-border fraud schemes targeting foreign nationals, as well as the importance of close collaboration between airport policing units and specialised fraud teams. They add that it also serves as a warning to criminal elements seeking to exploit Nigerian airports for international crime.
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