The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre has arrested a suspected online romance scammer, Abdulwajeed Abdullahi, over allegations of fraud, impersonation and sextortion.
The suspect, who allegedly operated online under the pseudonym “Captain Junaid”, was arrested at his residence in Kano State on August 4, 2026, following an investigation into a petition filed by one of his alleged victims.
The Director of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, AIG Akaninyene Ezima, disclosed the arrest in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Ezima, the investigation began after a female complainant alleged that Abdullahi developed an online romantic relationship with her before demanding $3,000 and threatening to release her intimate photographs and videos.
The suspect allegedly contacted the woman through TikTok on June 18, 2026, before moving their conversations to WhatsApp, where he reportedly persuaded her to send intimate materials.
Police said further investigations uncovered other alleged victims linked to the same “Captain Junaid” identity, including one person who allegedly lost N3.5 million and another woman from Bauchi State who reportedly paid $1,500 under a purported foreign exchange trading arrangement.
A forensic examination of devices recovered from the suspect allegedly revealed intimate photographs and videos belonging to multiple women, as well as forged academic certificates and identity cards bearing his photograph but different names.
Police further alleged that Abdullahi confessed to beginning romance scam activities in January 2026 and admitted to using the identity, photographs and publicly available materials of a Saudi pilot to create the fake “Captain Junaid” persona.
Meanwhile, the Cybercrime Centre also announced the arrest of David Temitope in Lagos over an alleged Business Email Compromise operation.
Temitope was arrested at his residence in Megamound Estate, Lekki, on July 20, following an investigation reportedly conducted in collaboration with foreign law enforcement agencies.
According to the police, forensic analysis of his devices uncovered more than 12.5 million victim email logs involving individuals and organisations in over 50 countries.
Investigators also alleged that the suspect made more than N100 million from the criminal enterprise, while a Mercedes-Benz AMG GLC 43 suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of crime was recovered.
In a separate case, police arrested Kelechi Sistus Ihekaire, proprietor of Kestart Technology, over an alleged international cyber-enabled investment fraud and money laundering operation.
The investigation followed complaints from alleged victims who reportedly lost N56.29 million after being induced to invest through a WhatsApp-based stock trading platform that promised high returns.
Police said investigations revealed that Kestart Technology allegedly processed transactions totalling N3.62 billion between October 2025 and May 2026, with the funds reportedly converted into Tether stablecoins through peer-to-peer cryptocurrency transactions.
Ihekaire was arrested in Lagos on August 13, and the police said legal processes were underway to seek the forfeiture of funds and cryptocurrency assets linked to the investigation, with possible restitution for victims where applicable.
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