By SCM REPORTER
ABUJA – A HEARTBROKEN victim in the Cayman Islands has been reunited with a staggering $23,000 (£18,000) after falling prey to a slick international “romance scammer.”
In a rare victory for the good guys, the Nigeria Police Force INTERPOL unit in Abuja successfully tracked down the stolen cash and sent it packing back to the victim’s bank account.
The sting operation was sparked when the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service raised the alarm, begging for help to find a Nigerian national they believed had fleeced one of their residents in a cruel online love trap.
Detectives in Abuja launched a “discreet, intelligence-led” investigation into suspect Achufusi Obioma Ikenna. It didn’t take long for the net to close in.
Officers swooped on Ikenna, recovering the full $23,000 in cash.
In a formal ceremony at the British High Commission in Abuja, the recovered loot was handed over to Mr. Shaun McLeary, acting on behalf of the British authorities, to ensure the victim gets every cent back.
A spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force said:
“The Force remains resolute in ensuring that proceeds of crime are traced, recovered, and returned to victims. Offenders will be brought to justice.”
While the victim can finally breathe a sigh of relief, suspect Ikenna is facing a much bleaker Valentine’s Day—he remains in custody and is set to be hauled before a judge as soon as investigations wrap up.
