Abiola Kayode, a 37-year-old Nigerian who had been on the FBI‘s Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List, has been extradited from Ghana to Nebraska, United States. This came after he was indicted in August 2019 for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Nebraska, said in a statement on Thursday that Kayode was taken into custody by Ghanaian police in April 2023. He was turned over to FBI special agents who transported him to Nebraska following a formal U.S. request for extradition.
Judge Michael D. Nelson, a United States Magistrate, ordered his detention pending trial when he appeared in court on December 11, 2024.
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Kayode Abiola, co-conspirators’ Business Email Compromise scheme: mode of operation
Between January 2015 and September 2016, Kayode allegedly took part in a Business Email Compromise scheme that defrauded companies in Nebraska and other states of over $6 million.
In the BEC scheme, employees were tricked into making fraudulent wire transfers by posing as company officials. By pretending to be authentic, these emails persuaded companies to move substantial quantities of money to accounts under Kayode and his accomplices’ control.
Kayode allegedly supplied bank account information that was used to transfer illegal payments, according to the authorities. Many of these accounts belonged to people who were victims of online romance scams, and they were tricked into sending the stolen funds further to other bank accounts provided by Kayode and his accomplices.
Kayode’s accomplices serving prison sentences
Several of Kayode’s accomplices have already been apprehended. Adewale Aniyeloye received a 96-month jail term and a $1.57 million restitution order in February 2019.
Pelumi Fawehinimi was sentenced to 72 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.01 million in March 2019.
In January 2020, Onome Ijomone, another co-conspirator, was extradited from Poland and given a sentence of 60 months in jail along with $508,934 in reparations.
Following his successful extradition from Nigeria, co-conspirator Alex Ogunshakin, who supplied bank accounts for the scheme, was given a 45-month prison sentence in October 2024.
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FBI vows to go after the remaining four co-conspirators
Speaking in a statement, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge 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. Our message to the remaining four co-conspirators; we are coming for you. Dismantling cyber-criminal groups that victimize U.S. citizens is a priority for the FBI, DOJ, and our international law enforcement partners.”
“The FBI, working together with our 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 to justice criminals who engage in Business Email Compromise and other fraud schemes.”