Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force through its National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) have arrested a mother and her daughter over their alleged involvement in an ₦18 million romance scam targeting a Malta-based victim.
The suspects, 39-year-old Urowhe Diana and her 22-year-old daughter, Rokibat Oluwasheyi Imoru, were arrested following investigations into alleged computer-related fraud, identity theft, and money laundering. According to a statement by the Acting Police Public Liaison Officer, DSP Uwana Imah, the case began after intelligence was received from the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, which flagged suspicious financial transactions linked to the suspects.
Investigators said the suspects were part of a romance scam syndicate that used fake online identities and emotional manipulation to defraud foreign victims. One of the victims was identified as a Malta-based resident whose identity was withheld. 
Police further alleged that a Lagos-based suspect, Emmanuel Amanfo, who is currently on the run and described as the husband of Urowhe Diana and stepfather of Rokibat Imoru, conspired with Rokibat to open and operate multiple bank accounts used in receiving fraudulent proceeds. Funds allegedly obtained from the scam were reportedly routed through money transfer operators and deposited into several Nigerian bank accounts controlled by Rokibat before being transferred into an Ecobank account belonging to her mother, Urowhe Diana. Ecobank was named in connection with where the alleged proceeds were ultimately moved and spent.
Forensic analysis of digital activities reportedly linked both women directly to the online scam operation, according to investigators. The police added that efforts were ongoing to arrest Emmanuel Amanfo.
The Nigeria Police Force stated that the investigation is still ongoing and the suspects will be charged to court upon its conclusion. Authorities also noted that the arrest reflects a broader effort to combat rising cross-border romance scams targeting foreign victims through fake identities and online relationships, including cryptocurrency-related fraud schemes.
In a related case, the cybercrime centre is also investigating another alleged international romance fraud involving a suspect accused of defrauding a German national of more than €100,000 using multiple digital payment platforms, underscoring what police describe as an expanding pattern of cyber-enabled financial crimes linked to Nigerian syndicates.
The Inspector-General of Police reiterated the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to intensify efforts against cybercrime and safeguard Nigeria’s digital space, while the NPF-NCCC urged the public to report suspicious online activities through official channels.
