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0 News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://newsghana.com.gh/nigerian-cybercriminal-abiola-kayode-extradited-to-nebraska-to-face-fraud-charges/
Abiola Kayode, a Nigerian national on the FBI’s most-wanted list for cybercrime, has been extradited to Nebraska to face charges related to a large-scale wire fraud scheme.
Kayode, 37, was arrested in Ghana in April 2023 following a request from U.S. authorities, who sought his extradition. The Ghanaian government granted the request, and Kayode was handed over to FBI agents for transport to the U.S.
Kayode made his initial appearance in court on December 11, 2024, where U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson ordered that he remain detained pending trial. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection to a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme that targeted businesses in the District of Nebraska and beyond, defrauding them of more than $6 million between January 2015 and September 2016.
The fraudulent scheme involved Kayode and his co-conspirators posing as high-ranking executives of businesses to trick employees into wiring funds to accounts controlled by the criminals. The scheme used fake email accounts to impersonate legitimate business leaders and direct employees to process fraudulent transactions.
Kayode is alleged to have provided bank account details to the criminals who sent the spoofed emails, facilitating the transfers. The bank accounts, many linked to victims of internet romance scams, were used to funnel money to other accounts.
Several of Kayode’s co-conspirators have already been convicted. Adewale Aniyeloye, who sent the fraudulent emails, was sentenced to 96 months in prison in 2019. Pelumi Fawehinimi, who facilitated the bank accounts, received a 72-month sentence the same year. Onome Ijomone, a romance scammer, was sentenced to 60 months in prison after being extradited from Poland in 2020. Alex Ogunshakin, another co-conspirator, was sentenced to 45 months in October 2024 after his extradition from Nigeria.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel emphasized the ongoing efforts to dismantle cyber-criminal groups targeting U.S. citizens. “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,” he said.
Kowel also issued a stern warning to the remaining suspects: “We are coming for you.” He praised the collaboration between U.S. and Ghanaian authorities, including the Ghana Police Service and the Ministry of Justice, in ensuring Kayode’s extradition.
The investigation, which was led by the FBI, was supported by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://newsghana.com.gh/nigerian-cybercriminal-abiola-kayode-extradited-to-nebraska-to-face-fraud-charges/
