Rape suspect landlord flees UK to Cameroon while owing £200,000 in benefits fraud

Ndumbe Achile Ndumbe, a 41-year-old landlord, is wanted on suspicion of rape and for large-scale benefit fraud after police failed to stop him from departing the United Kingdom. He is believed to have flown from Manchester airport to Cameroon in January while on bail and still possessing his passport. Investigators say he illegally obtained up to £180,000 in housing benefit by renting six HMOs near Manchester without proper licences, a breach that led Wigan council to impose a £26,486 fine in 2025.

The Department for Work and Pensions has issued a proceeds-of-crime order to recover the funds, and he may have continued to receive Personal Independence Payment for alleged mental-health issues and a back problem, which can be paid for 13 weeks after departure. Police seized electronic devices that suggested further sexual offences, extending the probe, while a source highlighted multiple lapses by both police and the DWP in allowing him to travel. UK authorities are now working with Cameroonian officials to locate Ndumbe and pursue extradition.