A Nigerian, Abiola Kayode, who had been on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List has been extradited from Ghana to Nebraska, United States.
The extradition followed a conspiracy to commit wire fraud indictment filed against the 37-year-old Kayode in August 2019.
A statement from the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Nebraska on Thursday, said Kayode was arrested in April 2023 by Ghanaian authorities.
It noted that following a formal U.S. request for extradition, the suspect was handed over to FBI special agents who brought Kayode to Nebraska.
The Nigerian appeared in court on Wednesday December 11, 2024, before United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson, who ordered his detention pending trial.
Kayode is accused of participating in a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme between January 2015 and September 2016 during which he defrauded businesses in Nebraska and other states of over $6 million.
According to the charges, 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.
The American authorities further alleged that Kayode provided bank account details used to receive illicit funds, many of them belonged to victims of internet romance scams who were lured into transferring the stolen money.
However, several of Kayode’s co-conspirators have already been brought to justice. One of them, Adewale Aniyeloye was in February 2019 sentenced to 96 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.57 million in restitution.
Also, another co-conspirator, Pelumi Fawehinimi received a 72-month sentence in March 2019 with an order 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.
Similarly, another member of the syndicate, Alex Ogunshakin, who provided bank accounts for the scheme was sentenced to 45 months’ imprisonment in October 2024 after his successful extradition from Nigeria.
Speaking in a statement, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge of the case, Eugene Kowel said, “Four years ago, we identified six Nigerian nationals suspected of defrauding individual victims and businesses in Nebraska and other states of millions of dollars.
“Today, Abiola Kayode is the second of those co-conspirators to be extradited to stand trial in Nebraska,” even as he vowed that the remaining four members of the syndicate will be apprehended. “Our message to the remaining four co-conspirators; we are coming for you.”
He added, “Dismantling cyber-criminal groups that victimise U.S. citizens is a priority for the FBI, DOJ, and our international law enforcement partners.”
He stressed that the FBI, working together with its partners in Ghana, particularly the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, the Ghana Police Service – INTERPOL, and the Ghana Immigration Service, will continue to pursue and bring criminals who engage in Business Email Compromise and other fraud schemes to justice.