Nigerian Socialite Poses As Dubai Crown Prince, Swindles Romanian Woman Of $2.5 Million In Elaborate Love Scam

Abuja, Nigeria– A Nigerian socialite with deep access to elite circles has been exposed for allegedly impersonating the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to romance and defraud a Romanian woman of over $2.5 million in a sprawling international scam that has drawn the attention of British, Romanian, and Nigerian authorities.

Investigations by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed that the suspect, Nzube Henry Ikeji, operated an elaborate romance and financial fraud scheme while maintaining a glamorous public image among Nigeria’s wealthy and influential class.

Mr Ikeji is known to associate with top celebrities and power brokers, including nightlife entrepreneur Obi Cubana and Grammy-nominated music star Davido.

Ikeji with Obi Cubana

A Royal Lie Begins on LinkedIn

The victim, a Romania-based professional identified simply as Ms Laura, said the nightmare began three years ago when she was contacted on LinkedIn by a man claiming to be the Crown Prince of Dubai.

According to her account, the supposed prince sought her professional advice on reputable Romanian humanitarian foundations worthy of investment.

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What began as a formal exchange soon evolved into frequent communication and, eventually, a romantic relationship. Over time, Ms Laura became emotionally invested in the man she believed was one of the world’s most powerful royals.

The London “Financial Manager”

Still posing as Sheikh Hamdan, the impersonator later instructed Ms Laura to travel to London to meet his financial manager, Matthew Cros, to discuss opening a Barclays account and facilitating access to royal funds.

Trusting him completely, Ms Laura flew to the UK and met the so-called financial manager several times. Unknown to the man, she brought along a friend who discreetly photographed the meetings.

British police later identified “Matthew Cros” as an alias used by Martins Abhulimhen, a Nigerian socialite and self-styled philanthropist.

Ms Laura and the Ikeji’s financial manager

Mr Abhulimhen previously ran an NGO known as the Jose Foundation and had been photographed with top Nigerian officials, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

During the meetings, Mr Abhulimhen wore a taqiyah, a Muslim cap, raising questions about whether he was genuinely Muslim or merely adopting a disguise to reinforce the illusion of working for an Emirati royal household.

The £202 Million Mirage

Ms Laura was subsequently given login credentials to what she believed was a legitimate online account.

The account displayed a balance of approximately £202 million, purportedly deposited in her name by the Dubai crown prince.

Ikeji and Mr Abhulimhen

To access the funds, however, she was told to first deposit £7,000. Compared to the hundreds of thousands of dollars she had already sent to the fake prince over the years, the amount seemed insignificant.

She paid.

Each attempt to withdraw the money triggered new demands for additional payments. Convinced that access to the massive funds was just one more payment away, Ms Laura continued sending money until her losses ballooned to about $2.5 million.

In reality, investigators said the account was entirely fabricated and contained no real funds.

Greed, Betrayal, and a Whistleblower

Back in Nigeria, cracks began to form within the fraud syndicate. Investigators found that Mr Ikeji had fallen out with his co-conspirators over how to share the proceeds, growing increasingly greedy.

The dispute escalated when a man named James Patrick Normoyle, who claimed to be a financial adviser, contacted Ms Laura and warned her to stop sending money.

“He defrauded you of more than 3 million euros,” Normoyle wrote bluntly, adding that the so-called “pre-marital visitation acknowledgement form” she had received from the prince was also fake.

Soon after, Mr Abhulimhen—still posing as Matthew Cros—sent Ms Laura a shocking message, claiming she had been manipulated using “African black magic juju and voodoo.”

“African magic juju and voodoo he has used on you to make you believe he was real prince to marry you,” he wrote via an encrypted messaging app.

When Ms Laura asked whether her London-based multimillion-pound account was real, Mr Abhulimhen replied: “It’s a lie from the pit of hell.”

Final Realisation and Collapse of the Scam

Ms Laura confronted the supposed crown prince with the revelations, but he dismissed them, claiming his financial adviser was sabotaging their relationship.

“Matthew has targeted planned (sic) against my relationship with you,” read one of the messages saved under the name Sheikh Hamdan.

By this point, the truth became undeniable. Devastated, Ms Laura demanded a refund.

“How can you be like this, a person with no soul,” she wrote.

Seeking answers, she turned to the same co-conspirators who had exposed the fraud. Feeling betrayed by Mr Ikeji’s refusal to fairly share the stolen funds, one of them revealed the real identity of the fake prince: Nzube Henry Ikeji.

They also shared videos of his newly built mansion, a critical lead that enabled journalists to locate him in Abuja.

Following the Money and the Lifestyle

Okeji challenging OCCRP Journalist from his mansion

OCCRP journalist Matt Sarnecki, working with Nigerian reporter Chikezie Omeje, traced Mr Ikeji’s digital footprint through social media.

His Instagram page showcased luxury cars, designer shopping trips, and lavish vacations with his wife, Confidence Amara Ikeji.

In one video, the couple were seen shopping at a Louis Vuitton store in the UK, the wife draped in fur and posing with multiple luxury bags. Mr Ikeji reportedly acquired a Lexus LX 570, a 2020 Range Rover Vogue, and expensive watches including a Hublot.

So flamboyant was his display of wealth that associates nicknamed him “Access Money.”

An Igbo man, Mr Ikeji holds traditional titles in Northern Nigeria, including Sarkin Gabas Matasan of Nasarawa, and was crowned Ojichukwu Ndi Igbo na South East in 2024.

His wife once posted photos of a sprawling mansion, thanking God for blessing her family with “another mansion in another city.”

Confrontation in Abuja

After days of searching through Abuja estates, Mr Omeje eventually located the mansion. Mr Ikeji was spotted standing shirtless on the balcony.

When confronted, Mr Ikeji denied impersonating the Dubai crown prince but admitted knowing Mr Abhulimhen. He appeared more disturbed by how reporters tracked him down than by the allegations themselves.

“But how did you get to my house?” he asked.

Pressed on whether Mr Abhulimhen transferred money to him from the UK, Mr Ikeji deflected, insisting questions be directed to his lawyers.

Law Enforcement Steps In

British police identified Mr Abhulimhen as the liaison who received funds from Ms Laura and transferred them to Nigeria. He was already under investigation for fraudulent transactions.

A UK court has since seized £113,000 from Mr Abhulimhen’s account to be returned to Ms Laura. Further investigations require coordination with Romanian authorities.

Mr Abhulimhen resigned as president of the Jose Foundation and has refused to respond to OCCRP’s inquiries.

Like his alleged accomplice, Mr Ikeji runs a humanitarian foundation that distributes rice and food items. He has denied wrongdoing, claiming the funds received were donations.

The Nigerian government has confirmed that it is investigating the case. As of now, neither Nzube Henry Ikeji nor Martins Abhulimhen has been formally charged, despite the overwhelming evidence trail spanning three countries.

What remains clear, however, is that behind the Instagram wealth, chieftaincy titles, and photo-ops with Nigeria’s powerful elite lies one of the most audacious romance fraud cases linked to the country in recent years.