Nigerian Cyber Criminal Abiola Kayode Extradited from Ghana to U.S. for Wire Fraud Charges
- Abiola Kayode, a 37-year-old Nigerian on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List, has been extradited from Ghana to Nebraska, USA, to face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud
- Kayode is accused of participating in a business email compromise scheme that defrauded businesses of over $6 million
- He appeared in court on December 11, 2024, and remains in custody pending trial of his criminal case
A 37-year-old Nigerian, Abiola Kayode, who had been on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List, has been extradited from Ghana to Nebraska, United States.
This followed an indictment for conspiracy to commit wire fraud filed against him in August 2019.
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Arrest and Extradition
According to a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Nebraska, Kayode was arrested in April 2023 by Ghanaian authorities.
Following a formal U.S. request for extradition, he was handed over to FBI special agents and brought to Nebraska.
He appeared in court on December 11, 2024, before United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson, who ordered his detention pending trial.
Business Email Compromise Scheme
Kayode is accused of participating in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme between January 2015 and September 2016 that defrauded businesses in Nebraska and other states of over $6 million.
The BEC scheme involved impersonating business executives to trick employees into making fraudulent wire transfers.
These emails, designed to appear legitimate, convinced businesses to transfer large sums of money to accounts controlled by Kayode and his associates.
Authorities claim that Kayode provided bank account details used to funnel illicit funds, many of which belonged to victims of internet romance scams.
Co-Conspirators Brought to Justice
Several of Kayode’s co-conspirators have already been prosecuted. In February 2019, Adewale Aniyeloye was sentenced to 96 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.57 million in restitution.
In March 2019, Pelumi Fawehinimi received a 72-month sentence and was ordered to pay $1.01 million.
Another co-conspirator, Onome Ijomone, was extradited from Poland and sentenced in January 2020 to 60 months in prison with restitution of $508,934.
Alex Ogunshakin, who provided bank accounts for the scheme, was sentenced to 45 months’ imprisonment in October 2024 after his extradition from Nigeria.
US Court Sentences 2 Nigerians to 10 Years Imprisonment
Previously, Legit.ng earlier reported that a United States federal jury has sentenced two Nigerians, Okechuckwu Valentine Osuji and Tolulope Bodunde, to a combined jail term of 10 years over $6m fraud.
The Nigerians are co-conspirators in a business email compromise scheme targeting US companies and elderly citizens, leading to a loss of about $6 million to their victims.
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Source: Legit.ng
