He Pretended to Be a Soldier, Seducing and Scamming Women Out of Thousands—Until One Victim Turned the Tables

Chris Maxwell seemed like any other Nigerian university student. He sat through lectures, most of the time with limited interest. He had a vibrant social life and many friends. But as one of three siblings, his parents, both civil servants, were stretched thin by putting even one child through university, let alone three. As costs piled up during his first year, Maxwell couldn’t afford necessities like rent, textbooks, or food.

“I just decided I needed to make money so that I can get some basic things for myself,” Maxwell...