By Abubakar Yunusa
The Nigeria Police Force has extradited a suspected cyber fraudster, Samuel Ugberease, to the United States over alleged involvement in online romance scams and wire fraud.
Ugberease, also known as “Putsammy”, “Putput” and “Sammy”, was extradited on Wednesday after the conclusion of legal proceedings and collaboration between Nigerian and US law enforcement agencies.
Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Placid, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested by operatives of INTERPOL National Central Bureau, Abuja, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on December 14, 2025, shortly after arriving from South Africa, where he was based.
The arrest followed an INTERPOL Red Notice issued by authorities in the United States.
Police investigations revealed that between 2014 and 2018, Ugberease and members of his syndicate allegedly operated online romance scams targeting women in the United States, especially within the Eastern District of North Carolina.
The syndicate was said to have created fake identities and fraudulent dating profiles to lure victims into emotional relationships before deceiving them into sending money through fabricated emergencies and false claims.
Investigators also uncovered that proceeds of the alleged fraud were laundered through several bank accounts used to process and conceal illicit funds.
In one of the cases, the suspect was linked to the alleged defrauding of a victim of over $1.5m.
Following his arrest, extradition proceedings were initiated before the Federal High Court in Lagos, which granted the application in line with the provisions of the Extradition Act, CAP E25, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The police said the extradition underscored its commitment to tackling cybercrime and transnational organised crimes through intelligence-led policing and international collaboration.
The Force also assured local and foreign partners of continued cooperation in promoting global security and combating financial crimes.
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