A Nigerian socialite under investigation over allegations of involvement in an online romance and investment scam, Henry Ikeji, has described the accusations as a concerted attempt to ruin his reputation.
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Ikeji spoke with AIT on Wednesday, rejecting claims that he defrauded a Romanian woman of millions of dollars and saying the matter was being misrepresented in public discourse.
Recall that police in Nigeria’s National Cybercrime Centre are reviewing an investigative documentary that alleges Ikeji impersonated the Crown Prince of Dubai in a sophisticated online romance‑cum‑investment fraud that reportedly cost the victim about $2.5 million.
Addressing reporters in the interview, Ikeji said the funds involved in the matter were paid into his account in naira and questioned the motive behind how the allegations were being spread.
“The money was paid to me from a naira account. While I’m explaining this and saying all this, I feel like there is a targeted plan to destroy my reputation because, as it stands now, nobody believes me.
“All my people that believe in my reputation, they are all now doubting me. All my friends have flown away; everybody now is calling me a criminal. All over the internet is circulating that I scammed a Romanian woman.”
Ikeji did not provide documentary evidence to support his claims during the interview, but insisted the narrative being circulated was damaging his personal and professional life.
Earlier reports said the alleged ordeal began when a Romanian woman, identified only as Laura in a documentary published by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, was contacted on LinkedIn by someone claiming to be the Dubai Crown Prince.
Police have stated they are still in the profiling stage of the investigation and are analysing the information available in the public domain. A senior police official told Saturday PUNCH last week that investigators are yet to receive formal complaints from the purported victim or documentary producers, and will gather more evidence before deciding on next steps.
The National Cybercrime Centre has not yet announced any charges against Ikeji, and it is unclear whether a formal complaint has been filed by the alleged victim with law enforcement authorities in Nigeria or abroad.
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