Nigeria Police, via INTERPOL, nab Canadian fraudster and cyberbully, exposing $210K investment scam and N452M charity fraud in sensational raids.
In a dramatic display of transnational policing and anti-cybercrime coordination, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) — through its INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja — has burst open the floodgates of a deep-rooted financial and cybercriminal web, reeling in two high-profile suspects whose fraudulent escapades stretch from Abuja to Dubai, Canada, and the murky alleys of Nigeria’s social media underground.
This sensational breakthrough, which implicates foreign syndicates, rogue Nigerian actors, and even complicit financial intermediaries, is already sending shockwaves across the country’s business and legal landscapes.
The gravity of the arrests underscores the grave threat cybercrime continues to pose to Nigeria’s fragile financial system and its global reputation — and the audacity with which con artists exploit trust, technology, and institutional loopholes.
The Canadian Conman: Robert Harms and the Phantom Project
Topping the bust list is Robert Harms, a Canadian national who allegedly masterminded a sophisticated investment scam targeting Tepison Enterprises, a company based in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.
According to the explosive police statement, Harms was introduced to the Nigerian company via a Polaris Bank account officer — a detail that raises critical questions about the due diligence practices of Nigerian financial institutions and their vulnerability to facilitating fraud, whether by negligence or collusion.
Harms reportedly lured the unsuspecting firm into investing $210,000 in a bogus Waste-to-Energy Project supposedly based in Canada.
He fabricated a Project Bridge Loan Agreement, promised quick returns of $30,000 in just four weeks, and routed the funds through a shadowy Bureau de Change operation — Allah Mai Girma BDC in Abuja — before they disappeared into an account in Dubai.
Despite claiming affiliation with a real Canadian company, VDQ-NRG Systems Limited, investigations revealed the relationship was entirely fictitious. The legitimate CEO of VDQ-NRG denied any connection with Harms.
This revelation highlights a familiar tactic: fraudsters exploiting the brand equity of legitimate foreign firms to entrap Nigerian victims eager for international opportunities.
Harms was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on 7 February 2025 while attempting to escape to Canada.
His arrest came after months of forensic investigation and international coordination, further demonstrating the growing capacity of Nigeria’s INTERPOL NCB to engage in cross-border operations.
He was arraigned before the Federal High Court, Uyo on 9 May 2025 and remains in custody pending trial continuation on 20 May 2025.
But beyond Harms, Nigerians are left wondering:
Will this case uncover the full extent of a possible international fraud cartel?
Will the unnamed bank officer who facilitated the introduction be summoned?
And will regulatory bodies hold BDCs accountable for their role in laundering proceeds of crime?
The Queen of Cyberbullying: Njaka and the Nude Photos Scandal
In a parallel operation that reveals the darker underbelly of Nigeria’s digital sphere, INTERPOL NCB Abuja also re-arrested Ms Okeke Ogechi Njaka, a woman whose cybercrime dossier reads like a thriller — involving cyberbullying, cyberstalking, sextortion, impersonation, and fraudulent fundraising.
Her crime spree reportedly began as far back as September 2020, when she was reported by Hajia Maryam Shehu, who accused her of maliciously disseminating nude photos and videos via multiple social media platforms.
According to the police, Njaka was already declared wanted in 2021, but managed to evade justice after jumping administrative bail following an earlier arrest in Anambra State this January.
It wasn’t until 8 May 2025, after sustained intelligence-gathering, that she was finally captured in Abuja.
More damning is the revelation that Njaka’s so-called charity, Ogechi Helping Hands Foundation, is also under prosecution for fraudulently obtaining over N452 million under the guise of medical assistance.
This scandal, now dubbed the “NGO Scam of the Year”, also implicates Emeka Ezeogbo and a shadowy group called Tolotolo Family Foundation, who allegedly co-conspired in fleecing generous donors and desperate patients alike.
Njaka is scheduled to be arraigned before the Federal High Court, Abuja, today, 13 May 2025.
A Systemic Breakdown or Just Two Rotten Apples?
While the Police Force deserves commendation for these bold arrests, these cases also underscore how easily transnational criminals can infiltrate Nigerian business and social sectors.
The collusion or negligence of intermediaries — bank officers, BDC operators, or social media platforms — allows fraud to flourish with impunity.
Moreover, Njaka’s long escape from justice raises questions about institutional laxity, poor bail enforcement mechanisms, and the sheer difficulty of policing Nigeria’s vast, unregulated cyberspace.
Her NGO’s alleged loot of nearly half a billion naira in donations speaks volumes about how philanthropy has become a new frontier for fraud in Nigeria.
Public Vigilance and Institutional Reforms Now Urgent
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, in reiterating the NPF’s commitment to combatting cyber and financial crimes, urged Nigerians to exercise due diligence before entering any high-value transactions or charity dealings. But more is needed than public caution.
Regulatory reforms must target:
- Stricter bank compliance protocols.
- Overhaul of Bureau de Change operations.
- Stronger cyber surveillance and AI-assisted policing.
- Real-time NGO verification systems.
Without these, the arrests of Harms and Njaka — while laudable — may be mere pinpricks in an ever-expanding bubble of cybercrime, threatening not just individual victims, but the very trust that underpins Nigeria’s digital economy.
- Additional report by Peter Jene and Omonigho Macaulay
