Police arrest suspect who ‘posed as World Bank official to defraud victims’
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has apprehended a man, Agbor Martins Black-Diamond, over allegations of impersonating an official of the World Bank to defraud victims of large sums of money.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by police spokesperson Anthony Placid, the suspect was arrested on March 31, 2026, following intelligence provided by the East Africa Sub-Sahara Africa Safe Promotion Foundation (EA-SSASPF), a Nairobi-based non-governmental organisation.
Investigations revealed that two victims, Julius Kithome and Cynthia Kithome, were introduced to the suspect in Nairobi by an associate identified as Edy Ndeto. Black-Diamond allegedly posed as a representative of the World Bank and other U.S.-based donor agencies, convincing the victims to pay for fictitious funding opportunities.
Over a three-year period, the victims reportedly transferred a total of $250,000 under the pretense of covering registration and administrative fees required to access donor funds. However, no funding materialized. Instead, the suspect allegedly staged fake symposiums in Nigeria and South Africa to maintain the illusion of legitimacy.
Police further disclosed that in 2024, the suspect persuaded the victims to obtain a bank loan using their family property as collateral, claiming it was necessary to access a non-existent $850,000 empowerment fund in Ghana.
Financial investigations uncovered multiple transactions linked to the scheme, including $57,975 sent between February and July 2023.
Authorities also found that Black-Diamond operated through an unregistered entity, Black Diamond African Beauty Restoration Foundation. He later registered another company, United African Continent Limited, in November 2024, allegedly to lend credibility to his operations.
The police added that the suspect extended his activities locally, targeting farmers in Kuje Area Council, where he reportedly collected ₦50,000 from each participant under the guise of empowerment and capacity-building programs.
The NPF says investigations are ongoing.
