Nigerian police arrested eight people after busting online investment fraud, romance scams and an alleged money-laundering network tied to more than $2 million. The National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force said Assistant Inspector General of Police Akaniyene Ezima disclosed details after the arrests in Abuja, following investigations linked to victims abroad. In the first case, intelligence shared by the UK National Crime Agency pointed to social media accounts connected to a transnational fraud network operating from Delta State. Investigators traced activity to Agbor and Okpanam and arrested four suspects in October 2026. The arrested were Ojei Divine, Godwin Umerin, Edema Bright and Peter Kpamichukwu Okoh. Police said the suspects allegedly used synthetic identities across social media and messaging platforms to target victims in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Ezima said Divine impersonated professional investment traders using Facebook accounts with different IDs, including one using the name Mariana Coman. Victims were directed from created chat groups to fraudulent investment websites including www.andescapitalgrouplc.com, www.navidargroupllc.com and www.stockbase.com. Police said the sites promised trading in forex, cryptocurrency and oil and gas, while deposits were sent to wallets controlled by the suspect and his syndicate. A cryptocurrency analysis linked to a suspect-controlled wallet showed 21 approved transaction receipts totaling USD 21,150. Investigators recovered crypto assets worth USD 15,900 and secured them in a custodial wallet. Police also said Divine admitted moving proceeds through multiple wallet addresses, including a Revolut Trust wallet for European victims and Coinbase for victims from the United States. Umerin, police said, created several Facebook accounts and admitted using them to target an Indonesian citizen who paid 7,000,000 Indonesian Rupiah through a money mule’s account. Bright, described as a 300-level Delta State University student, was accused of sextortion and cryptocurrency fraud targeting victims across Australia, the UK, the US and Canada. Police said he posted online hookup advertisements and received responses via a WhatsApp account registered with a US telephone number. Investigators also said Bright used www.clubhouse.com to conduct live audio conversations, where he allegedly pushed victims to invest in Bitcoin by claiming to buy at lower prices and sell at higher rates, while impersonating Michael Novogratz, CEO of Galaxy Digital, using photos from Pinterest. Okoh, aged 27, was described as a website developer and the owner of 360 Web Tech, which police said was unregistered. Police said he advertised web development services on Instagram and TikTok under usernames 360_webtech and 360_webtech02, and admitted developing six websites used by scammers, including platforms for healthcare, investment and “online banking” designed to let administrators control deposits and withdrawals. The second case, Ezima said, came from intelligence-led work involving the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt. Police said the investigation targeted a Nigeria-based romance fraud network that allegedly targeted elderly residents of Canada between 2020 and 2024. Police said the network used fictitious identities to form deceptive romantic relationships. After gaining trust, threat actors allegedly solicited funds under pretences including business investments, financial assistance and loans. In one case, a victim was allegedly deceived by an impersonation of a US military physician, William Barabash, who sent login details for a fake bank website called “CB Reserve” showing a large balance under the name Barabash. Police said the victim transferred over CA$200,000 between 2020 and 2022. Investigators said the funds were linked to Uka Chidiebere Gerald M, 32, who, with his wife Evelyn Ayabare’s consent, used her email address and phone number to open a Binance wallet. Police said USDT 1,684,441 was laundered through that wallet. During the operation, police said they recovered 36 mobile devices, three routers and other exhibits for forensic examination. The suspects are set to be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction after the investigative and prosecutorial processes are completed.