Nigerian socialite Nzube Henry Ikeji allegedly masqueraded as Sheikh Hamdan Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the crown prince of Dubai, to lure a Romanian woman into a romantic relationship and defraud her of millions of dollars. Investigations by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project revealed that Ikeji ran a network targeting women overseas seeking love.
The victim, a Romania-based woman who wished to be identified only as Laura, said she was first contacted on LinkedIn three years ago by the supposed crown prince. He initially sought her guidance on Romanian humanitarian foundations in need of financial support. Over time, their professional interaction evolved into a personal and eventually romantic relationship.
Ikeji, still posing as the Emirati royal, instructed Laura to meet his “financial manager,” Matthew Cros, in London to facilitate access to funds and open a Barclays account. Laura traveled to London and met Cros multiple times, secretly accompanied by a friend who documented the encounters.
British authorities later discovered that Cros was a fabricated identity for Martins Abhulimhen, a Nigerian socialite and philanthropist known for running the Jose Foundation. Abhulimhen has been publicly pictured with prominent figures including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Observers noted that he wore a taqiyah, a Muslim head covering, during the meetings, though it was unclear whether this reflected his faith or served as part of the disguise.
Laura was eventually given login credentials to an online account showing a deposit of roughly £202 million. Unaware that the account was entirely fabricated, she was instructed to pay £7,000 to access the funds, which were non-existent. The scheme highlights the sophisticated lengths taken by fraudsters posing as high-profile figures to exploit victims seeking love and financial opportunity.
