The Nigeria Police Force has extradited a Nigerian man identified as Samuel Ugberease to the United States over allegations linked to online romance scams, wire fraud and other financial crimes.
Police said the suspect, who is also known as “Putsammy”, “Putput” and “Sammy”, was handed over to US authorities through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Abuja.
Force spokesperson Anthony Placid disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday. He said the suspect had lived in South Africa before his arrest and extradition.
“The suspect, who was based in South Africa prior to his arrest, was extradited on Wednesday, 14th May 2026, following the conclusion of extradition proceedings and coordinated engagements between Nigerian and United States law enforcement authorities,” the statement reads.
According to the police, investigations showed that Ugberease and his associates allegedly operated a criminal network between 2014 and 2018. The group reportedly targeted women in the United States, especially residents of the eastern district of North Carolina.
Police alleged that the syndicate used fake identities and dating profiles to gain the trust of victims online before persuading them to send money through false claims and staged emergencies.
“Further investigations established that proceeds of the fraud were laundered through multiple bank accounts used to receive, process, and conceal illicit funds,” the police spokesperson said.
“In one of the reported cases, the suspect was linked to the defrauding of a victim of over One Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($1.5 million USD).
“The fugitive was initially arrested by operatives of INTERPOL NCB Abuja at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on 14th December 2025 upon his arrival from South Africa, following a INTERPOL Red Notice issued by authorities in the United States.
“Subsequently, extradition proceedings were instituted at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, where the Court granted the application for his extradition in accordance with the provisions of the Extradition Act, CAP E25, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
Placid said the police would continue to work with international partners and make use of INTERPOL resources to tackle cybercrime, financial fraud and organised cross-border crimes.
He also assured global partners of the force’s commitment to international security cooperation.
